James W. "Jim" Armstrong

ARMSTRONG, JAMES W. James W. "Jim" Armstrong, 81, died peacefully in his home Aug. 24, 2006, after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was born July 15, 1925 in Amarillo, Texas, to the late Thomas Harley and Myrtle Lee Hites Armstrong. Jim lived most of his life in the Dallas area, where he raised his family of four children and, through his 33 years managing commercial construction projects, literally helped change the skyline of Dallas. His "highest" achievements include construction of: Stemmons Towers, Campbell Center, Prudential Insurance Building - Las Colinas; National ChemSearch - Irving; Boy Scouts National Headquarters; Texas Commerce Bank Building - "the keyhole" tower in downtown Dallas - and many others. Jim graduated from Amarillo High School in 1942. He voluntarily joined the Army Air Corps (Air Force) and became a navigator during World War II. Under the GI bill, he received his civil engineering degree at Tri-State College in Indiana. The native Texan moved to Dallas and worked under "the red flying horse" as petroleum engineer for Magnolia Oil, now known as Mobil Oil. In the same building, he met the love of his life, Louise Byrd. Once he invited her to the company picnic at White Rock Lake and followed up with a date to the State Fair of Texas, well, the rest is history. Shortly after they married, Jim and Louise moved to the untapped oilfields of West Texas. There he worked (not too far down the road from George Bush Sr.) as a "doodlebugger," a geological surveyor. In 1950, Jim again volunteered and served as a navigator during the Korean Conflict. He and his family relocated to Long Beach, CA. Not one for graphic war stories, he did share a few exciting, albeit hair-raising stories about one-engine flights and dry fuel tank landings as they leap-frogged islands, as airplanes did in those days, to cross the Pacific. The 1st Lt. was honorably discharged with many honors in 1952. Returning to Dallas, Jim jumped back into engineering, this time in commercial construction. The growth spurt in Big D proved advantageous. During his career, Jim worked at Robert E. McKee, Ten-Eyck Shaw and Hensel-Phelps construction companies. He retired as senior project administrator from Austin Commercial in 1986. Jim is best remembered for his honesty, dry sense of humor, ready wit and love of the great outdoors. Family and friends will miss him dearly. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Louise Byrd Armstrong; sister Marley Latta; son Bob Armstrong and wife Donna; daughters Linda Davis, Lissa Sawyer and Pam Sasser and husband Richard. He also leaves nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Services will be Friday, Aug. 25, 2006 at 9 a.m. at Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home Chapel in Irving. Burial and military services will follow at 11 a.m. at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Donations may be made to Lions Hospice, 1816 Norwood Drive, Hurst, TX 76054 or the Parkinson's Research Foundation, 3003 LBJ Fwy, Suite 125E, Dallas, TX 75234., Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home 606 W. Airport Frwy. Irving TX (972) 579-1313 www.donnellyscolonial.com

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