Mr. Walter N Armstrong

Walter began a new chapter in his full life when he met and married his true love, Suzanne Downie in 1968. He was working as a new banker in San Antonio, and she was a visiting Duchess during Fiesta. He was serving on the German Club Board and was President of The Bachelor’s Club and was infatuated with her beautiful West Texas heart. Just before they married, Walter was called into the military and was awarded a Direct Commission into the US Army Intelligence Corp. He and his new bride lived their first year in Georgia, Maryland and New Jersey before he was transferred to Vietnam and assigned to the 179th Military Intelligence Detachment with the 199 Light Infantry Brigade. He was the son of Col. Burton W. Armstrong and Eleanor Nolte Armstrong and grew up in a transitory lifestyle. Born in San Antonio, Walter lived and acclimated in numerous environs including in Tokyo, Japan (1948-51), Arlington, Virginia (1952-56), and Montgomery, Alabama (1956-59). Walter boarded for 2 years at Texas Military Institute and later served as President of the Alumni Association. He then earned his BA degree in Linguistics, communications history and science, at UT Austin and spoke Spanish, Japanese, French, and German. He studied for his master’s degree in business management at Trinity University while working as a Trust Officer at Alamo National Bank prior to entering the military.

Family was always paramount in Walter’s life. His parents provided great stability despite experiencing transitions and turmoil during the depression and WWII. He admired his older brother, Burt Jr., who was born with a life-shortening heart defect but never-the-less lived life to its fullest until age 21 and impacted the lives of others positively. Walter cherished his four children individually and respected their adaptability and personal responses to life’s diverse opportunities and challenges. He had grown up participating in high level youth sports and enjoyed coaching and loving them and their families all deeply. He respected and enjoyed each one’s unique character and independence. They are: Downie and Bobby Mickler (Redding, Emma (Nolan), Nancy (Charlie), Annette, and Robert); Walter “Waddy” and Alexis Armstrong (Charlotte and Banks); Dancy and Dan Tolson (James, Eleanor “Ellie’, Olivia, Jonathon, and Jack); Dunn and Lindsay Armstrong (Ella). He was extremely proud of each of them, applauded their unique characters, and will, without doubt, miss watching all their evolving maturities and contributions in life.

Work and diversity were natural for Walter. As a youth he earned cash by selling newspapers on street corners (age 13), washing neighborhood cars (14), taught dance classes in Austin (18), worked for SA cold storage business (19), and even modeled in Mexico City for Catalina Bathing Suits and Superior Beer (20). Upon his return from Vietnam and leaving the military, he was invited to raise sheep and cattle on Suzanne’s family ranches in West Texas, Uvalde and Somerset. While there, he founded a Young People’s Chamber of Commerce group in Sanderson to renew community spirit and kindle social pride. Walter enjoyed this respite to learn the ranching business but decided ultimately to return to banking with a new focus on international business and commercial lending.

After graduating from International Banking School and Southwestern Banking Institute, he was recruited to head the International Department at Texas Commerce Bank in Brownsville. Walter typically followed a creative approach in his varied business endeavors, and visualized a unique opportunity develop new quality business relationships. He relocated his growing family to the Texas Valley, and began traveling extensively throughout Mexico. The bank size and its profitability grew exponentially, and Walter was named Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors.

After five years, Walter relocated back to San Antonio to focus on private sector business that entailed entrepreneurial vision and structure for a variety of newly created ventures. He chaired the organization of a diversified family-owned investment group; led a special services division to develop evolutionary business avenues for the Santa Rosa Medical Center; he also led the development of some early-stage business endeavors to include: regional and national telemarketing programing systems; emergency braking systems for 18-wheeler trucks; corporate cybersecurity defenses; and construction of largest the dual-track Solar Energy facility in the USA. He served on the Boards of The Santa Rosa Medical Center, SA German Club, Texas Cavaliers, The Order of the Alamo, SA Family Services Association, Texas Commerce Bank, Brownsville, Gulf Energy and Development Corp, Texas Military Institute, and Incarnate Word Health Services, and SA Country Club.

Walter’s faith and trust in God’s dominion always gave him strength and a literal lifeline. He relished the blessing of close family and friends, his time with them at Nolte Farms and West Texas. Walter had a passion for life, and his abiding belief in justice and man’s natural goodness was his gift to those who knew him.

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 11am at First Presbyterian Church, 404 N. Alamo St., San Antonio, Texas.

In Lieu of flowers please make donations to the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation, 909 NE Interstate 410 Loop #903, San Antonio, TX 78209 or online at https://www.texascavaliers.org/donate