Quentin "Monk" Armstrong

1927 - 2015

Quentin "Monk" Armstrong

Mt. Desert, ME

Quentin "Monk" Armstrong, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in Monroe Township, NJ. He was born on Aug. 3, 1927 in New Brunswick, NJ, the son of Charles and Theo (Haven). Quentin was the last of the 15 grandchildren of David Leander Armstrong Sr. who came from Northern Ireland in the 1870s and settled in South River, NJ. He graduated from Westfield High School in 1945. Quentin served one year in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1952 with a degree in Architecture and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Quentin met his wife, Constance Ells (Connie) at Syracuse University through her roommate and his twin sister, Carole. They married on Aug. 25, 1951 at the St. Saviour's Episcopal Church in Bar Harbor, Maine and honeymooned in Quebec, Canada. The Armstrong's lived in Whitehouse Station and later in Stanton on Woodchurch Road where they raised three children.

He worked for Jay C. Van Nuys and Tectonics before establishing an architecture partnership with Norman Coates in the early 1960s which later became the firm Armstrong, Jordon, Pease (AJP). AJP designed many schools, military installations, private homes, and business buildings. His designs for Cumberland Regional High School (Seabrook, NJ) and the Marshall Erickson School (Freehold, NJ) won New Jersey architectural awards. Delicious Orchards, winner of the Colts Neck Historical Society Design Award in 1971, was an example of his innovative and functional design work. Former owner of Delicious Orchards, Carroll Barkley, said that Quentin "caught the feel of the farm" in his design by using plain wood walls. In 1982, AJP won the Land Development Award for Roche Clinical Laboratories in Raritan, NJ. Many of his architectural designs followed the International Style. He used the A-frame style in his New Jersey home.

Quentin was active in the American Institute of Architects since 1965 and the Boy Scouts of America. He served as President of the Readington Township School Board for several years. Quentin was a frequent blood donor at the Hunterdon Medical Center. One of his greatest achievements was saving Round Mountain in Stanton, now part of Deer Path Park, from development.

In 1987, he and his wife retired to Long Pond near Somesville, Maine. Quentin traveled around the world visiting China, Russia, Europe, Cambodia, Turkey, Greece, South America, and other countries. He had a large collection of wood carved statues from each country he visited. In 2007, he visited the Scottish Boarders region where the Armstrong Clan originated with his son, Brian.

Quentin established a successful architecture business in Maine and designed several private residences, businesses, and hotels including the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center, Bayview Hotel, Mira Monte Inn buildings, Holland Inn addition, Central House renovation, Dog and Pony Tavern, Galyn's Restaurant, Thirsty Whale, Carmen Verandah, Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, Rosalie's Pizza, China Joy Restaurant, Hulls Cove General Store, Town Hill Market, and Lisa Stewart Women's Health Center. His pentagonal house in Southwest Harbor was featured in Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors magazine. He was very active in the Maine AIA for many years.

He loved to fish, sail, swim, ski, dance, watch all types of movies and plays, discuss politics and history; and socialize with friends and family. For many years, he was the co-host for the Okemo family ski weekend and skied frequently until he was in his 80s.

Monk is survived by his three children and their spouses, Janice Armstrong and Steve Schlosser of Milford, NJ, Brian and Rose Armstrong of Millstone Township, NJ, Ellen and Ken Zeltner of Agawam, MA; four grandchildren, Jessica Bacheler Tan and her husband Kevin, Josh Bacheler, and Karla and Kimberly Armstrong; one great-granddaughter, Olivia Tan; a niece, Sheree Castonguay and her husband Jeff; and three nephews, Eric, Cliff and his wife Linda, and Stuart Gordon. He is predeceased by his twin sister, Carole (2008) and a brother, Otis (1953).

Services will be held in the summer on Mt. Desert Island. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Monk's memory may be made to the college scholarship fund for the South River Historical & Preservation Society, PO Box 446, South River, NJ 08882. Condolences may be expressed at http://www.jordanfernald.com/