Leroy Armstrong

Leroy C. Armstrong passed away Monday, February 12, 2018, at KU Medical Center due to heart complications.  He was surrounded by his loving family. He was born on June 24, 1934 in Kansas City, Kansas.  Leroy moved to Baxter Springs, Kansas when he was a child and remained there until coming back to Kansas City where he graduated from Argentine High School in 1955.

After high school, Leroy married Jessie Gipson on Sept. 12 1955.  He started his career with Santa Fe Railroad.  In 1960, he began working for the Board of Public Utilities where he remained for 37 years working as a water specialist.  During his tenure at BPU, he was actively involved in the Employees Club, serving as President for a number of years, and planning activities such as Bingo nights, picnics and soap runs.

Leroy’s life was centered around the church.  Leroy and Jessie joined the Argentine Nazarene Church in 1960.  They then become founding members of the Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene, where Leroy served as a Board member and Sunday School Superintendent for more than 35 years. Leroy’s most passionate ministry was the church bus. Countless Saturdays were spent calling on neighborhood children to remind them the bus for church would arrive promptly on Sunday morning.  Leroy also drove that bus, and many were brought to know God through Leroy’s dedication and service.

Leroy found great pleasure in spending time with his family.  He and Jessie have three children, Debbie (Jeff) White, of Sublette, KS; Randy (Cindy) Armstrong of Olathe, KS; and Rick (Allison) Armstrong of Kansas City, KS.  From those children, the family grew to include grandchildren Courtney (Jay) Main, Trevor White, Alyssa (Doug) Zimmerman, Caitlin, Dalton and Wyatt Armstrong along with great-grandchildren Jozlynn, Jaydan, Coen, and Jaelyne Main, and Eve Zimmerman.  Leroy was the definition of a loving husband, father, grandpa and G-Pa.  He never missed a ball game, grandparent day, birthday party or graduation. He especially enjoyed family vacations to Arkansas yearly. Later in life he looked forward to spending summer holidays in the mountains of Angelfire, NM with family.  He also enjoyed anniversary trips to Alaska and Hawaii and countless trips to Branson with grandchildren.

As we remember Leroy’s life, we remember a life well-lived; he was generous and kind to all.  He was a humble, non-judgmental man who always kept God first in his life.  His life was an example of one lived in service to others.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Judes, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 and Mission Project at College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 E Sheridan St, Olathe, KS 66062.

A visitation will be held from 10-11 AM, service 11 AM, on Friday, February 16, at College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 E Sheridan St, Olathe, KS 66062. Burial will follow at Johnson County Memorial Gardens in Overland Park.