Monty Rawls Hudson Jr.
Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 11, 2009
Monty was born on Aug. 14, 1960 in Monroe, La. and died Jan. 2, 2009 in a plane crash due to inclement weather in Neshoba County, Miss.
Monty spent most of his childhood in Bastrop, La., before moving to Baskin, La., as a teenager, where he met and married his high school sweetheart Kim Hudson. Monty and Kim later moved to Logansport, La., and Vicksburg where he worked for Southern Natural Gas for 20 years. After leaving Southern Natural Gas he began his lifelong dream of becoming an AG Pilot. He attended flight school at AG Flight, Inc., in Bainbridge, Ga.
After flight training, Monty worked for Bonneidee Air Aero in Mer Rouge, La., Pioneer Flying Service in Pioneer, La., Simmons Flying Service in Jonesboro, Ark., AG Air in Delaplaine, Ark., and Blair Aviation in Essex, Mo.
Monty spent the last 15 years of his life doing what he truly loved to do. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. Monty loved his family and took every advantage he had to spend quality time with them. He was a member of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association and the Missouri Agricultural Aviation Association.
Monty is survived by his wife, Kim Hudson, of Jonesboro, Ark.; two daughters, Ashley Hudson Smith and her husband David, of Vicksburg, and Whitney Hudson Simmons and her husband Cody, of Vicksburg; two grandsons, Greyson Rush Simmons and Pierson Rawls Smith; his mother, Priscilla Meador Watson and her husband Jim, of Lewisville, Texas; his father, Monty Rawls Hudson Sr. and his wife Charlotte, of Monroe, La.; his maternal grandmother, Lucille Meador, of Bastrop, La.; his brother, Chadwick Brent Hudson, of Lewisville, Texas; and his half-sister, Casey Nicole Hudson, of Monroe, La.
He was preceded in death by a grandson, Hudson Stafford Smith.
Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with Monsignor Patrick Farrell, Pastor of St. Paul Catholic Church, officiating. Visitation will be at Riles Funeral Home Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until the service. Memorials may be made to the March of Dimes, Mississippi Chapter, 10 River Bend Place, Suite 110, Flowood, Miss. 39232.
Pallbearers will be Donald Barbee of Logansport, La., Wade Carpenter and Brent Carpenter of Jonesboro, Ark., Bobby Blair and Eric Blair of Essex, Mo., Chris Madison and Lester Watson of Vicksburg, and Dave Morton of Broadview, Mont.
Honorary pallbearers will be pilots of Quinn Aviation of Jonesboro, Ark., Hog Air Aviation of Paragould, Ark., and Bonneidee Air Aero of Mer Rouge, La.