Thomas Paul Armstrong

1958 - 2024

7/20/1958 - 2/24/2024
Thomas Paul Armstrong died on February 24, 2024 at the age of 65, in his McLean, Virginia home. Born on July 20, 1958 in Whitehaven, Cumbria. Paul grew up in the Northwest of England before studying at St Bees School. He went on to attend St. Catharine's College of the University of Cambridge, where he graduated in 1980 with a BA & MA in Engineering.

Paul came to America in 1981 to join a small company in Beltsville, Maryland called MICROS Systems. He spent the next 27 years there, developing hospitality point-of-sale products and eventually serving as Chief Technology Officer. In his time, MICROS grew from less than $10 million per year in revenue to north of $900 million, serving some of the largest restaurant and hotel brands around the world. Paul is credited by many for having revolutionized the industry on multiple occasions. After briefly flirting with retirement at the age of 50, he cofounded XCO Digital with Alan Hayman, providing smartphone solutions for museums, sports teams, and other consumer brands. In 2018, he was recruited by Oracle, which had since acquired MICROS, to rejoin his old team and lead product development for the Food and Beverage business unit. Paul was inducted into the RSPA Retail Technology Industry Hall of Fame in 2023. His career was the great adventure of his life.

Paul and his wife, Katherine, met in Washington, DC and spent nearly 40 years together. They had two children, Margaret Victoria Armstrong (Meg) and Thomas Andrew Armstrong (Drew). He was always the first volunteer to coach his children's sports teams (even if he did not know the rules). For over 20 years, he and Drew would wake up early to watch Liverpool F.C. games. He would travel hundreds of miles to take pictures of Meg playing college lacrosse. Paul was devoted to his family.

Paul made every second of his life count. He loved spending time at the family home on Martha's Vineyard where after long bike rides around the island, he would jump into the ocean for a swim and enjoy a cold Stella. He was an audiophile and an avid golfer. He loved cars (Porsches to be precise), planes, trains–anything that moved fast. Throughout his life, Paul traveled the world, always looking for the next adventure, always bringing his camera, and maybe a few lenses. And he relished roping family and friends into these hobbies, whether taking the family on an annual August trip or somehow convincing his daughter to help build the O gauge model train set he designed during COVID.

In February 2023, Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He tackled his diagnosis with the same tenacity with which he approached everything else. Relentlessly gathering the facts, considering all options, prudently charting a course, and executing decisively. He was always kind and grateful to his caregivers. He raised money and awareness for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) while battling the disease himself. When told there were no further treatments, Paul accepted his fate with grace. His first and last concerns were for his loved ones, particularly Katherine. He spent his final days at home surrounded by his loving family.

Paul is best characterized by his unrelenting drive. He was self-assured in his exacting standards, his constant desire for excellence. He was always a gentleman and a gracious host who never wanted the party to end. His word was sacrosanct and his generosity immense. Paul cared deeply for others and proved it through his actions. Everything he did, he did well.

He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and their two children, Meg and Drew. He is also survived by his two siblings, Stuart and Anne, as well as his two nieces and two nephews.

A funeral service will be held on March 16, 2024, at 1 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA. A live stream will also be made available to those interested but unable to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Paul can be made to PanCAN, through his team You'll Never Walk Alone.