|
OBITUARY
A Mass of Christian Burial for William R. Armstrong will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday at St. Francis de Sales Church in Newark with the Rev. Dean Mathewson officiating.
Mr. Armstrong, a firefighter for the City of Newark for 30 years, died July 16, 1999, at Arthur James Cancer Hospital. He was born April 29, 1946, in Newark to Eston L. and Betty Jane (Hommon) Armstrong of Newark.
Mr. Armstrong was a 1964 graduate of Newark High School. He received the 1998 Firefighter of the Year award and was a Hazardous Material Instructor for Ohio and Licking County.
Mr. Armstrong was a member of the Vietnam Veterans' Association, of IAFF Local 109, of Licking County Hazardous Materials Team, of Licking County Rescue Team, of Licking County Emergency Planning Commission, and of Tri-County Fire School Committee; an instructor for LCJVS, Ohio Fire Academy, and COTC; vice president and past-president of the Licking County Firefighters Association.
He also served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era. He is survived by his wife, Patricia C. (O'Brien) Armstrong, whom he married Februiary 8, 1969, his parents; one daughter and son-in-law, Barbara J. and Jon Quackenbush, of Newark; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Richard G. and Kathryn Armstrong, Thomas L. and Marlene Armstrong, Ted J. and Mary Armstrong, all of Newark; one niece and four nephews.
He was preceded in death by paternal grandmother and grandfather, Stella and William Armstrong, and maternal grandmother, Mary Hommon.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at Criss-Kirkpatrick Funeral Chapel, 179 Granville St., Newark, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m.
The family requests no flowers. Contributions may bne made to the International Myeloma Foundation, 2129 Stanley Hills Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
|
Neil Patton
I remember growing up across the street from Bill on W. Main St. After high school I didn't see him for years until I transferred back to the area. He was a very dedicated fire fighter and took his job as a hazardous material specialist very seriously. I remember a traffic crash on SR16 east of Marne rd. involving a semi loaded with chemicals that were leaking from the trailer. We were keeping traffic stopped a safe distance from the truck when Bill and his team arrived. He put on his Haz-mat gear and went up to the truck to inspect the load, a very dangerous undertaking. I always thought that his handling of hazardous material incidents led to his early demise. He was a good man and I miss him.