Ted Armstrong

Theodore (Ted) Henry Armstrong passed away peacefully with his wife Phylis and son Tom at his side on September 21, 2011. Ted was born on a farm in Middleville, Michigan on May 23, 1921. Ted’s youth was marked by the loss of his father in 1935 and running the family farm during the Great Depression. Still, Ted graduated from Middleville High School in 1939. He married Phylis Doreen Cutler in 1943. In 1944 he moved to Lake Odessa and built a herd of registered Holstein milk cows. His highly efficient dairy operation was Ted’s pride and joy-- he could tell you the bloodline of every cow and how much milk each was producing. He sold his cows in 1976 following a farm accident and then worked as a real estate agent for eight years. He enjoyed meeting and working with his clients and took great satisfaction in helping them. Following retirement Ted devoted himself to his hobbies, which included fishing, woodworking, yard maintenance and music. He and Phylis were regulars at the Senior Center Music night in Ionia, and he enjoyed the music program at Central Methodist Church. Ted learned to play the organ in his 80’s. Ted was listening to gospel hymns at the very end of his life on earth. He and Phylis also enjoyed their motor home in which the toured the country and which they used for their annual two week post Labor Day gathering with their fishing buddies at Mitchell State Park. Ted had a soft spot for dogs and adopted a number of dogs from the local animal shelter and strays that happened by the farm. Ted and Phylis were long-time members of the Central Methodist Church in Lake Odessa. They were founding members of the Central Methodist Alethians in 1950, a group devoted to spiritual growth of then young adult couples and to community service. He and Phylis are particularly grateful for many years of support from their church family. Ted and Phylis raised three children: Theodore Paul Armstrong, Thomas Jeffrey Armstrong, and Kathy Suzanne Armstrong. Ted Armstrong worked in the aerospace industry and later ran a computer software business. Ted married Karol Orrell and passed away in 2007. Tom Armstrong teaches Biomedical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Michigan. He is married to Mary Snyder and has three children and one grandson. Kathy worked as a schoolteacher and later as a customer representative in Grand Rapids. Kathy married Ned Swift, and had two children and one granddaughter. Kathy passed away in 2010. Ted was preceded in death by his father Theodore Henry Armstrong, his mother Helena Francis (Holz) Armstrong, and his sister Evelyn Francis (Armstrong) Raymond. Ted is survived by his wife Phylis with whom he was happily married for 68 years. He frequently referred to her as his “rock.” A Celebration of Life service for Ted will be conducted at 11 am Saturday, October 1, 2011 in the sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church, 912 Fourth Avenue, Lake Odessa. Following the service the family will receive guest in the fellowship hall. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the Alethians of the Lake Odessa United Methodist Church or to the Ionia County Animal Shelter. Funeral Service October 01, 2011 11:00 AM Central United Methodist Church 912 Fourth Avenue Lake Odessa, MI Interment Lakeside Cemetery 14631 Cemetery Rd Lake Odessa, MI