David K. Armstrong

On Saturday, January 27th, David Armstrong had one of the happiest days in his life surrounded by friends and family to celebrate the wedding of his son Josh to Laura Garchar in Colorado. Toward the end of the wedding reception, David experienced sudden cardiac arrest and died a short time later at the hospital. His family will forever cherish the joyous memories from that day and evening, including David’s dance with his new daughter-in-law to be sure she could two-step like a Texan.

David was a good man -- quiet, kind and humble. He was a landscape architect professionally, and in his leisure time, an expert skier who loved the mountains. He was also a wonderful father who along with his wife of 38 years, Marci Armstrong, was extremely proud of his two Eagle Scout sons, Josh and Paul Armstrong, III, and the fine young men they have become.

David was born in Lubbock on November 26, 1955, son of Jackie and Paul Armstrong, Jr. After a childhood he remembered very fondly on the family farm near Hart, Texas, he attended Amarillo College where he met Marci Shuman. He and Marci married on August 11, 1979, while David was completing his degree in Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University. They moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, where he worked for the U.S. Forest Service designing campgrounds and their first son Josh was born.

A job opportunity took the young family to Dallas, Texas, where David launched his first landscape architecture business, then 8 years later they relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. There he launched his second business and their second son Paul was born. In 1998, the family returned to Dallas where David continued his work as a landscape architect and launched his third and current business, Armstrong Landscape Management.

David was incredibly determined to live. In 2000 he received a terminal diagnosis of Stage 4b throat cancer. After two years of aggressive treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center, David beat the 20% odds that he would survive. The ravages of aggressive treatment left him with compromised speech, the inability to swallow, a feeding tube for the rest of his life, and diabetes. Yet David fought hard to live as though nothing had changed – running his business, skiing, cycling with Marci, spending time with his sons – and never complained. No matter what was going on, if you asked him how he was, the answer was always “Fine.”

David is survived by his mother Jackie Armstrong, his wife Marci Armstrong, and his children Josh Armstrong and wife Laura, and Paul Armstrong, III. Preceding him in death was his father Paul W. Armstrong, Jr. David’s legacy is passing along a fighting spirit and humility that was passed to him by his father. He came from a long line of Armstrongs who were good men and he tried hard to live up to the standards they set. He taught us all how to live and live fully in spite of great odds.

Visitation will be held Friday, February 2nd, 6:00-8:00pm, followed by the funeral service on Saturday, Feburary 3rd, 2:00pm, both at Spring Valley United Methodist Church, Dallas. Interment will follow at Sparkman Hillcrest. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Spring Valley United Methodist Church, MD Anderson Cancer Center or the American Diabetes Association.