Paul Emanuel Armstrong, SR

Paul Emanuel Armstrong Sr. was a fun and loving husband, father, brother and minister. He was born April 25th, 1944 to the late Abbysinia Cordelia Armstrong and Freeman Oliver Armstrong in Nansemond County, Virginia.
Paul’s parents taught him, his brothers and his sisters to sing at an early age in the Church of God and Saints of Christ. He and his siblings were known as The Armstrong Family Singers and could be heard almost every Sabbath day and holiday. As a young boy, he loved being a Shepard, and in later years, he served as a cantor in Boston, MA. Due to his great passion for music, he sang in his high school choir. His parents taught them all to have a reverence for God and to love the sweet songs of Zion, which is something he would carry with him for the rest of his life. He was an avid singer and a true lover of church music. He was truly dedicated to his religious beliefs and endeavors.

His love of learning and the church would carry him on to become a Deacon in Boston, MA, in Cincinnati, OH, and Toledo, OH. On April 2nd, 1994, he was ordained a minster by Rabbi Levi Solomon Plummer. He loved to read, thought deeply, and enjoyed scholarly discussions. He also worked hard, loved much, gave freely, trusted God, and was kind. He attended public school in Norfolk County and graduated from Crestwood High School in 1962. He would also earn his Bachelors of Science in Education from the HBCU Wilberforce University in 1996 and his Masters of Science in Education from University of Dayton in 2008. As a lifelong learner, he was still in school pursuing a PhD. With this training, he would become a Special Education teacher for Dayton Public Schools, retiring in 2019.

In May of 1970 in Boston, MA, he married his soulmate, Ethel Viola Marsman from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, Canada. They would enjoy 51 years together. To this union were born two children, Paul Emanuel Armstrong Jr. and Sarah Christine Armstrong-Jones, and one adopted son, Jeremiah Luke Armstrong.

Elder Armstrong became a Master Mason of the 33rd and Last Degree in 1990. He was a dedicated mason and earned honorary awards, including the Meritorious Certificate. He and his wife were foster parents for 16 years and nurtured many youth, bringing many of them to church services every week. He was also a mentor to Simon Finley for many years. He loved working with youth.

Elder Paul Armstrong Sr. passed on Sunday, June 20th at 77 years of age in Dayton, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his sister, Elizabeth Blanco in 1992, his daughter Andrea Armstrong in 2013, his brother William Obadiah Armstrong in 2014, and his brother Charles Armstrong in 2020.

He leaves to cherish and carry on his memory his devoted wife, Ethel Armstrong; his children, Paul (Erica) Armstrong Jr., Sarah (Di’Angelo) Jones, and Jeremiah Armstrong; his grandchild, Ericolis/EJ Kelley; his siblings, Jesse (Tonya) Armstrong and Yvette Martin; his nieces and nephews, Kevin (Stephanie) Armstrong, Keith (Radience) Armstrong, Tony Blanco, Ira Blanco, and Philip Blanco; 6 sisters in-law, Margaret Hendrick, Doris Johnson, Maxine (Brian) McNichol, Betty Marsman, Debra Bradley, and Wendy Marsman; 4 brothers in-law, Joel (Adrienne) Marsman, Ray (Liz) Marsman, Don Marsman, and Albert Marsman, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends throughout the United States and Canada. He will also be missed by his favorite pet, Rockie.