I received a sad bit of news in my inbox yesterday. Jim Montgomery, the husband of Pat Montgomery, who helped found the Clonlara School and has been a strong advocate for educational freedom here and abroad, died during a bypass operation on the 15th of December. I was not able to find much information at the time of posting, so will translate the memorial offered by Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit. Why would they have a memorial to him? Because of the incredible support this family has offered to German homeschoolers.

Pat Montgomery supports the German Homeschool movement with her whole heart. In the summer of 2003, she traveled from the USA to of of the meetings of the Initiative for Self-Determined Education and the BVNL. The wonderful stories that Pat told us about how children and youth learn will not be forgotten. In the summer of 2005, Pat returned and toured Germany in order to give German homeschoolers and unschoolers courage to continue in their fight against the German compulsory attendance laws. Through this, she made a valuable contribution in moving homeschoolers of different backgrounds to work together. Clonlara Germany was founded, which now guides well over one hundred families. In April of this year, Pat, as speaker at the International Colloquium for Home Eduction in Burg Rothenfels, was accompanied by her daughter Chandra, who has been the business director for Clonlara US for over two years. Pat and Chandra became dear to all who were able to experience their open and sincere manner. We mourn with them the loss of their husband and father. Our cordial sympathy to Pat Montgomery and Chandra Montgomery Nicol!

I would like to offer my condolences as well.

[tags]homeschooling, Clonlara, Jim Montgomery[/tags]