Harold Armstrong

Harold Armstrong died of cancer on Monday December 2nd 2013 at about 11:30am He was predeceased by his wife of 64 years who was killed in a car accident in 2009.Dad is predeceased by his mother Olive Armstrong (ne Teel). He is also predeceased by his sisters Lenora and Edith and by his brothers Ralph, Otis and Mertin. He leaves behind 2 children, Cindy and Scott, Daughter in law Rachel and son in law Ron as well as many nieces and nephews and many good friends. He also left behind two mini Poodles Cassie (15) and Divia (8) as well as the American Eskimo dog Teddy (11). Earlier this year he told my wife Rachel that he considered her as one of his kids. This made Rachel extremely happy. I know he felt the same way about Ron too. He and Ron had worked together for several years. After my mom died dad and I became very close although we always were.  Cindy, living right next to dad helped him keep his home clean as well as having dad over for dinner every night. Harold was the youngest of the 6 children and was quite a bit younger in age then his closest in age siblings, his sisters Edith and Lenora. Harold's father Arthur came to this country from the British colony of Gibraltar and was fluent in Spanish and English. His mother Olive's roots probably go back to the early 17th  century in Boston and there is some proof that this could be as early as 1621. Dad was brought up in Quincy Massachusetts in 1924 and because of this he lived much of his early life during the depression. He says his family never felt poor because his Dad always found some kind of work and often worked several jobs at once.  My dad recalls how he would accompany his father in a truck picking up laundry in the very early hours of the day. Graduating from Quincy High School in 1943 he immediately enlisted in the navy. He was trained in diesel engine repair and maintenance and served aboard landing craft during the D-day invasion into France. He did not speak often of his military years but he served his country proudly. He also mentioned that he drove an ambulance in France after the invasion.  After the war he found his High School sweetheart Patrica Wilson and within a year they married. Dad learned a lot about carpentry from his older brother Otis. This knowledge went on to provide him a comfortable living later on. Dad also learned a lot about boats, mostly sail boats and he found a lot of pleasure sailing, rebuilding and building sailboats. The largest project was building from the keel on up a friendship sloop about 20 years ago. He even poured the lead for the keel, steamed the planks that needed to be curved for the hull and built the entire boat by hand. By this time his dad Arthur and oldest brother Ralph and started what would become a successful window and door manufacturing company Modco Windows Inc. in Quincy Ma., and Harold did well selling and installing doors and windows. Dad always wanted to be his own boss however and took over ownership of a Shell gas station in Hingham, Ma. During this time he started his own company Better Homes Aluminum. He started selling and installing Aluminum Doors and windows and added Aluminum and Vinyl siding. He also took on building home demodulating and home additions and also built a few houses along the way including 2 houses for his family in Hingham and a home for mom and himself in Wedgefield, Florida. He opened a True Value hardware store in Weymouth, Ma. Shortly after moving to Florida he and Ron started a handy man business and he was well into his 80's before retiring. Harold was a loving husband to my mother Patrica and both he and mom were great parents. My mother was an animal lover, especially dogs and before Cindy and I were born she was showing Collies and Poodles at AKC Conformation and Obedience events.  My dad encouraged and took part in dog shows. Both are past presidents of the South Shore Training Club. My mother and dad breed and showed not only collies and poodles but Keeshounden and even recently an American Eskimo dog that was purchased from a breeder in British Columbia. “Teddy” who is still a healthy 11 year old dog earned his Canadian Kennel Club and UKC championship at a young age. Mom then started showing him in AKC obedience events. In obedience there are three levels of competition starting with the Novice degree then Open degree and finally the most difficult of the three the Utility or UD degree. Mother had completed the Novice and Open degrees and had trained Teddy and just started completion for the Utility Degree when she was tragically killed in when her car was T-boned by another car less then ¼ mile from home on September 27, 2009.  Dad missed her terribly but they lived right next door to Cindy and Ron's  and Rachel and I were only 15 minutes away so we did our best to keep dad active. Very soon after my mothers death dad decided to pick up where mom left off with showing Teddy and attempt to earning his Utility degree.  American Eskimo dogs are not often seen at obedience dog shows and I have never seen another “Eskie” shown in obedience. On Wednesday mornings we used to take Teddy to training classes and dad trained him every day at home.    It was about this time when dad was first diagnosed with cancer but also told at the time he stood an 85% chance of being cured.  Dad always credited mom's early training for making a UD dog out of an unlikely candidate, the American Eskimo dog.  Teddy had just turned 11 and dad was about to turn 89. Dad had a 18 foot Victoria sailboat that was docked at the Titusville Mariner. He an I would take the boat out a couple of times a month until this past May. Everyone who knew Harry always commented that he was a great man. He was always willing to help anyone out especially his kids. Where Cindy and I grew up in Hingham, Massachusetts he was friends with just about the entire police force. There were a number of times when I was driving around town that I would get pulled over just so the officer could ask what Harry was up to. I got used to this and never got any tickets or any trouble with the police even though there were times I deservered to.  This even carried over to the larger neighboring town of Weymouth was. I never got any tickets in Ne w Gland except when  I was 16 in Vermont driving home from Quebec. I've made up for that in Florida and other Eastern states. I know that Cindy and I had about the best childhoods imaginable. That was because of the great parents we had.  I know they are both happy together now. I've seen them in my dreams and other people who didn't know he had past on have received messages while dreaming. I have felt his presences 3 times now. I so miss them both.. He will be missed by both family and friends but I know he is reunited with his wife. We are having a small family service for him on Monday, December 23. His ashes will be spread where mother's ashes are.