LT. COL. JOSEPH ARMSTRONG

Lt. Col. Joseph Armstrong died April 14, 2009. He is survived by Juanita Armstrong, his wife of 62 years, two daughters, Susan Ard, her husband Sherman Ard of Alabama, and JoAnn Hollingsworth, her husband Harvey Hollingsworth of Panama City, Florida, two stepsons, Eugene Case, his wife Rose of Purvis, Mississippi and David Case of Barber's Hill, Texas, and a grandson Joseph Andrew Ard of Washington, DC.
Lt. Col. Armstrong was born in Sour Lake, Texas on August 30, 1915 to William T. and Susan Brinton Armstrong. His roots in Texas were long; his mother was a member of a Texas pioneer family. His father was building the longest oil pipeline from Tulsa, OK to Port Arthur, TX when he met Susan Brinton. They married two years later in Dallas, then moved to Sour Lake, Texas. Joe was the second born son. While living in Crosby, Texas, he and a friend started the school's first football team. He graduated high school in Liberty, TX in 1933 and worked for several oil companies as a young man.
He was working for Humble Oil Company in 1941 when he was drafted into the U. S. Army. This was just before the beginning of WWll and he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in the 7th Signal Service Company. He went to OCS at Ft. Monmouth, NJ after war was declared. He went overseas with the 437 Signal Battalion to England, North Africa and Sicily, Italy. He was company CO in Sicily until the end of the war. He served in seven major campaigns during the war and received two Bronze Stars, the second for meritorious service. He was recalled to duty after the war and continued to serve his country in Japan, the Korean War, El Salvador and White Sands Missile Range, NM.
Lt. Col. Armstrong retired from military service in 1963 and moved to New Braunfels, Texas. He graduated from South West Texas State University and attended Rice University graduate school for advanced Spanish language studies. He was with NBISD for 21 years as a teacher and Special Services Assistant Superintendent. He was a member of the Star Unicorn and a founding member of New Braunfels Elks Lodge. He was a member of St Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He and his wife moved to Panama City in 2007 in order to be near their two daughters.
Lt. Col. Armstrong was a man who lived a life devoted to his wife and family. He was a humble yet courageous man of great principle who showed kindness to those he knew and fairness to all, including those he had not met. He was a true gentleman. We all loved him and will miss him. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday in the Mathison Retirement Center Chapel.
Interment will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you give a friendly wave to children on school buses. He would like this.

Wilson Funeral Home