PHOENIX — Joseph Montgomery always had a plan.
He met the girl of his dreams in high school and married her.
He wanted to become a police officer and served in law enforcement for more than three decades.
He wanted a family and is survived by four children and two grandchildren.
“He was selfless, loving and caring,” Sandy Montgomery, Joe's wife, said. "We had plans."
Those plans were wrecked by the unexpected on Jan. 14.
Montgomery was on his way to work at ASU when DPS investigators say he somehow lost control of his motorcycle. He collided with a highway barrier and suffered fatal injuries.
Sandy Montgomery was at work when it happened. She said a coworker showed her a live feed of the accident.
"I saw his bike."
Sandy called and texted the man she married more than 30 years ago. Each time, her messages went unanswered.
She drove to the scene, guided by the location of Joe's phone. When she arrived, she went to the officers on the scene and asked for her husband.
"And I said I need Joe Montgomery, it says he’s here, and it says his location is here and I need to see if he’s okay," Sandy said.
Her husband did not make it.
Montgomery was with the ASU Police Department for 13 years. He usually patrolled the downtown Phoenix campus. Sandy said he recently helped train officers coming on to the force.
"He was pretty much invincible," Sandy said.
Sandy and their four grown kids remember a softer side of the man who seemed to have a tough exterior.
"He was all about family," Sandy said.
Joe was there for the birth of his first granddaughter. He caught everything on camera in a moment his daughter will never forget.
"The look on his face, the look on their face was really cool." Joe's daughter Allison, said. "It made me feel like I won the biggest contest in the world."
"He could always turn a frown upside down with this little smirk" Brett Montgomery, Joe's son said.
His family described him as meticulous who always wanted to do things right. They say Joe was a sports fanatic, often pictured in a Los Angeles Rams jersey.
They remember how he was always there for them. Willing to help out in any way he could.
"He was the strongest, smartest and big-hearted man that I met," Seth Montgomery said.
He was also the love of Sandy's life.
"He wasn’t just my husband, he was my first love, he was my best friend," Sandy said.
According to Sandy, the two met in High School, the start of a 34-year romance.
“He would always say to me ‘I'm not going to walk away until I make that pretty face smile," Sandy said. "It’s a huge hole."
With Joe Montgomery's passing, the family is trying to move on. They want to hear as many memories of Joe as they can and hope to live life up to his standard.
"I promise to carry out what you planted and I promise to honor you for the rest of my life," Sandy said.
If you would like to help the family financially, there is a fundraiser going on until the end of the month at: https://helpahero.com/campaign/asu-officer-joseph-montgomery-memorial-fund.