Doris C. Armacost

Doris Cooper Armacost, 102, of Westminster, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013, at Carroll Lutheran Village Healthcare Center, following a brief illness.

Born Sept. 29, 1910, in Showells, she was the daughter of the late John and Edith Rayne Cooper. She was the wife of the late George F. Armacost, her husband of 55 years, who died in 1990.

After graduating from Salisbury State Teacher's College in Salisbury, she attended the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore, and, subsequently, taught third and fourth grades. She also taught art and music for grades three through seven in the three-room schoolhouse in Finksburg in the early 1930s. She was an accomplished portrait artist, an organist and choir director for Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Finksburg, and the first organist and a charter member of Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church in Reisterstown. She taught private piano lessons for many years and served as PTA president, a Girl Scout Leader, as well as a substitute teacher at Sandymount Elementary School in the 1950s. She hosted a series of weekly Bible studies in her home spanning several decades, previous to her move to Emeritus Assisted Living in Westminster in 1999. Her more recent artwork, consisting of pen and ink drawings, continues to be published monthly on the cover of the Emeritus Newsletter. She was very religious, and enjoyed her family, sharing her faith, and the Eastern Shore.

Surviving are children John Armacost and wife Marianne, of North Hampton, N.H., Gary Armacost and wife Sandy, of Parkersburg, W.Va., Dinah Smelser and husband Mike, of Westminster, and Shelly Ruby and husband Herb, of Finksburg; grandchildren Lisa Hoffman, Beth Fletcher, John Michael Armacost, Tim Armacost, Suzanne Armacost, Daniel Armacost, Amy Francisco, Robin Walsh, Matt Smelser, Mike Ruby, Brad Ruby and Mark Ruby; great-grandchildren Kathryn and Lucus Hoffman, Jed, Jamie and Ian Fletcher, Chelsea and Jessica Armacost, Samantha Armacost, Levi, Julianna, Annette and Luke Armacost, Heather, Gary, David, Harmony and Gideon Francisco, Jessica Wilt, Mickey Walsh, Max, Cole and Graham Ruby, Arabella Ruby, Blake, Anna, Carter and Mae Ruby; and great-great-grandchildren Jack and Charlotte Wilt.

She was predeceased by a grandson, Christopher Armacost, in January 2013.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church, 820 Nicodemus Road, Reisterstown, with the Rev. Dr. Herbert E. Ruby III officiating. Interment will be in Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Finksburg.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church, 820 Nicodemus Road, Reisterstown, MD 21136.

Online condolences my be offered at www.prittsfuneralhome.com.

Sign this guest book online at www.carrollcountytimes.com.