My grandfather, Francis (Fritz) Armstrong passed away last week. He was 87 years old. Our family held a memorial service for Papa Fritz. There was a Navy honor guard, the Patriot Guard motorcycle riders, and a Scottish bagpiper there for the service.
My dad wrote this obituary about Papa Fritz. I will always remember you Papa Fritz!
ARMSTRONG Francis David “Fritz” Armstrong, resident of the Lake Forest neighborhood of Daphne, Alabama, passed away Wednesday, January 4th, 2012, in Fairhope. Fritz, 87 years old, was born September 4th, 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio. Fritz postponed his studies at Amherst College to serve as a Navy officer during WWII as an aviator in the Helldiver dive bomber. His training ended one month before the war did, as Fritz prepared for deployment to the Pacific. Fritz was the last known living Helldiver pilot who flew during the war. In March, the Commemorative Air Force flew the last flying Helldiver aircraft to Fairhope to reunite Fritz with the war plane, thrilling all. After the war, Fritz married Juanita and continued his education, earning a chemical engineering degree from the University of Colorado. Fritz and Juanita were soon blessed with three daughters. Fritz worked and retired as a chemical engineer for the paper industry (International Paper, Pensacola; Champion, Monroeville, AL). Later in life, Fritz extended his family as loving husband to wife Mary (Floyd) Thompson, also of Lake Forest. Fritz became a stepfather to 8 adult children and grandfather “Papa Fritz” to 14 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Community service was important to Fritz, and he volunteered at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church, Eastern Shore Literacy Council, and council member of the Lake Forest Board. Fritz loved to play golf with friends and family, and was a model of dignity and humility on the green. His refinement extended to the arts, where Fritz loved classical music and opera. Acutely interested in genealogy, Fritz traced roots to Scotland and Northern Ireland, where he later visited. “The Irish Armstrongs” became great friends of Fritz, welcomed their American cousin with warmth, and visited Fritz twice in the States. Perhaps as a result of his Scotch-Irish roots, Fritz enjoyed fine scotch and good seafood -particularly gumbo and oysters. Fritz is preceded in death by two brothers, Mark and Warner. He is survived by his wife, Mary Thompson; a sister, Patricia Armstrong Asbury, and three daughters, Kristi Hogan, Karen Armstrong, and Kathy Sarkis. Fritz is also survived by stepchildren, Christine Martin, Scott Floyd, Mark Floyd, John Floyd, Jim Floyd, Ben Floyd, Paul Floyd, and Matt Floyd. Also surviving Fritz are many sons and daughters-in-law, and extended family, including – as Papa Fritz- his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Friends and family are welcome to attend a memorial service and reception, held at Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church on Saturday, January 14th, at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Eastern Shore Literacy Council, Fairhope, AL.
Rat, Cow, Tiger, Dragon, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60 counting systems which begin with 
Wooden Rat and end with 
Water Pig. You can see the entire sequence from the 
the 29th of the Stem-Branch in the system. Because Water is connected to Black
Audrey's Black Belt 