Mr. David Colley Armistead, Jr., 12/29/1931 to 12/28/2010, died peacefully at home at the age of 78. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 60 years, Lee Ann Lawson Armistead; his four children, David and Lisa Armistead, Tommy and Nancy Armistead, Phil and Eliana Armistead and Tony and Lee Ann LaPlante; 13 grandchildren: David, Andrea, Paul, Sarah, Tom, Andrew, Stephanie, Kristina, Nicholas, and Grace Armistead, Joseph, Mary, John and Gloria LaPlante; and great grandson, McLean Armistead. An Atlanta native, Mr. Armistead lived most of his young life in the West End, where he attended school and served as an altar boy at in St. Anthony's Parish. He served in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves; then he married his one true love. Lee Ann Lawson at Sacred Heart in Atlanta on 12/29/1950. Mr. Armistead served his city as an Atlanta firemen for seven years in Morningside; became a paint contractor; and explored his entrepreneurial spirit by opening his own family business, Armistead Paint and Supply Company, Inc. on Roswell Road in Buckhead. His business flourished until he sold it in 1989, and he expanded the business to the Alpharetta location , which is still open for business today, owned by his son, Tommy Armistead. His efforts were rewarded with the award for #1 Southeast Independent Paint Dealer for Devoe Paint in the 1970's. A man of great faith, Mr. Armistead went from service as an altar boy at St. Anthony's to a lector at Our Lady of Assumption for many years. He has remained a faithful parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas in Alpharetta for 30 years. His service to the church included painting numerous churches, a catherdral, Catholic schools, and rectories. He was honored by Monseignor Moylan with a relic with which he was blessed on the day of his death. Mr. Armistead's greatest pleasure was attending with his wife, Lee Ann, all the children's and grandchildren's events. The family will receive friends from 6-7:30 and a prayer service will be held at 7:30 Both at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Rd., Roswell, GA 30076. The Funeral Mass will be held 10 A.M., Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 535 Rucker Rd., Alpharetta, GA, 30004. He will be placed at rest at Green Lawn Cemetery following the mass. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society, WWW.svdpusa.org, Our Lady of Perpetual Health Cancer Home, 760 Pollard Blvd., SW, Altanta, GA 30315 or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital for Children with Cancer, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN. Dave was a loving and devoted father, husband, grandfather, and great grandfather. Spending time with his family and, most of all, his 13 grandchildren, was the most important thing in his life. He and Lee Ann were to celebrate 60 years of marriage on Dec. 29th and, as it happened, he would also have celebrated his 79th birthday on that same blessed day. Teenage sweethearts, they married at age 18 and 19. Their love endured many years of change and challenges, only to deepen their devotion to each other and strengthen their faith. His occupational life saw him as a sailor, Atlanta City Fireman, and successful entrepreneur in the paint & supply business. He inspired all who knew him with his constant devotion to faith, family, and personal integrity. He never hesitated to donate his time and talent whenever needed. He helped Fr. Michael Morris restore the historical Sacred Heart Church (now a minor Basilica) after it had, on two occasions, suffered fire and smoke damage in the mid-late 70's. A devout Catholic parishioner, his service to the Church ranged from being an altar boy at St. Anthony's in West End, where he grew up, to being a Lector and Usher at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in the 1960's and 70's. As a business man, he oversaw the painting of the old Atlanta Stadium, the First Baptist Church on Peachtree St., St. Philips Cathedral, just to name a few. Dave became the #1 independent paint dealer in the Southeast in the early 80's. He would always attribute his success to "the Good Lord". He spent 30 years as a devoted parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas until his death on December 27, 2010. We, his family, honor the life he lived by holding dear the exemplary character he showed while he was with us. We miss you, Dad, Granddaddy, Poppy, Papa, "Biggest Dave" and, to all your painter friends, "Big D."