David Armstrong

Belmont, Michigan will salute the lifetime of a good man, and that means a very good man, over the Veteran's Day holiday this year. David George Armstrong, age 91, lived a rich life in every way which included serving in the U.S. Navy during the final years of WWII in Japan. He passed away from his beloved wife, Joyce Powell Armstrong, and loyal family on Friday, November 3, 2017 at his home in Belmont, while battling a recurring illness. David was born on Dec. 30, 1925, to Alvin and Ada Snow (Duvall) Armstrong in Wichita, Kansas, but moved to his mother's hometown of Albany, Kentucky as a young toddler. He was the second of their three sons, with an older brother Gordon, and younger brother Elliott. His parents owned a family farm in Albany, and their mother, who was known far and wide for her cooking, helped the family by running a restaurant "Snow's Cafe", in their small town. David grew up working hard during the Great De-pression, and had many odd jobs as a child including selling popcorn in a local theater, working on the Cumberland Dam, and helping his parents. Throughout his life, David found great satis-faction in the value of hard work. David joined the Navy when he was 18 years old in 1944. He was assigned to two ships during his enlistment: the Biloxi and L.S.T. 781. Among his many du-ties while in the Pacific fleet, he went into Nagasaki and Hiroshima after the dropping of atomic bombs in 1945 and was discharged in July of 1946. His lifetime of commitment to his family stemmed from his small hometown in Kentucky to reach hundreds, even thousands of people during his lifetime. David served, fought, worked, and loved. From what some would call humble beginnings, he always felt rich. He never held back from giving to others. His life was full, and he never stopped sharing goodness, humor, and love that were stored up in his heart for others. Of course, that often included sticking a folded bill or two in someone's pocket, simply for the feel-good it gave him to know he could share what he had with others. David and Joyce marked 66 years of their loving devotion in marriage this year. They married on Easter Sunday, March 25, 1951, in their home town of Albany, Kentucky, and from that point on celebrated their anniver-sary every Easter Sunday, no matter what date Easter befell. The couple met in their hometown of Albany at ages 12 and 10, and loved each other as best friends throughout their school years. David was first remembered by Joyce for opening the school door for her, but since both of them had parents who owned businesses in town, they often found camaraderie while taking breaks from helping their parents. As the years marched on, their stable friendship blossomed into romance which lasted a lifetime and inspired hundreds along the way. The couple had five children, eleven grandchildren, and now have seven great grandchildren. Their children are Su-san (Benjamin) Lapus, Deborah (Steven) Milanowski, Laura (Jim) VanDerBos, and David (Lindy) Armstrong. Their grandchildren are Michael Lapus, Jennifer (Brent) Verlin, Joseph Lapus, Cristina (Chris) Knee, Eric (Ashleigh) Milanowski, Emily Milanowski, Mollie (Mel) Drake, James (Macey) VanDerBos, David VanDerBos, Olivia, Maxwell and Samuel Armstrong. David was preceded in death by his oldest son, David Michael Armstrong, in 1952, who died soon after birth, and his beloved 10-year old grandson Daniel David Armstrong Milanowski, in 2004. David also leaves behind his dear brother Elliot Armstrong, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. David and Joyce moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1955 to begin a new life to-gether as Joyce sought work as a teacher. They had never been to Michigan but had learned of its dedication to good education. They borrowed $100 to make the move and get established, lived in an apartment in a rough area of Franklin Street with their six-month old baby Susan, and survived on peanut butter and crackers until they could pay their loan back and move into a saf-er neighborhood. David sought steady work as an iron worker while Joyce pursued her love of education and eventually became Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for Northview Public Schools. The couple lived in two neighborhoods with neighbors and friends who became like family. Among them were Tom and Shirley LaBelle, and Jane Meissen, from their first home in Northview. The Armstrong family moved to their large estate in Belmont in 1967 and filled every inch of the property with their southern grace, antiques, and charming gardens. David planted over 600 trees with the help of his neighbors and friends, on the once barren property, which is now comforted by large shade trees for all to enjoy. David and Joyce retired from their jobs in the 1980's but remained active. They traveled often to Kentucky and the South throughout their years, but also took vacations in the western United States and Europe. Their love for dancing led them to various dance groups over the years, which continued until recently when David became sick. These dancing friends were some of their dearest friends in their later years. Anyone who knew David Armstrong knew his love for family, friends, his home, and dancing. He will be missed. The military funeral service for David Armstrong will be celebrated on Veterans Day (observed) at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, at Stegenga Funeral Chapel, 1601 Post Dr NE, Belmont, MI. Visitation will be at held on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 1-3 p.m. and Friday Nov. 10, from 4-5:30 p.m. at Stegenga Funeral Chapel. David Armstrong will be laid to rest on a hillside family plot near his grandson Danny, in the Plainfield Township Cemetery in Belmont, Michigan. Burial ceremony will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 11, 2017. Those wishing to offer expressions of sympathy are encouraged to make donations to Faith Hospice. Stegenga Funeral Chapel may be reached at stengengafuneralchapel.com. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of David George Armstrong please visit our Sympathy Store.