Kay Ann Armstrong (nee Johannsen), 84, of Meramec Bluffs Assisted Living in Ballwin, Missouri died Saturday, June 22, 2024. She was born in Clinton, Iowa and spent her youth in the farming community of Welton, Iowa where she graduated class valedictorian from Welton High School in 1957. Kay spent two years at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa before transferring to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois where she completed her teaching degree. On May 5, 1962 she married Paul Armstrong, whom she met through a mutual friend. Together they shared 62 incredible years and raised three sons, David, Neal, and Joel.
During college she taught third grade in Welton. After college, she taught first grade in DeWitt, Iowa before taking time off to raise her three boys. Once her youngest was through grade school she put her teaching skills back in action as a teacher’s aide at Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois. Several years later she moved to Chesterfield, Missouri, following husband Paul’s final transfer with JCPenney. Paul’s career with JCPenney brought Kay to 7 different cities (one twice) in the midwest. As happenstance would have it, in 6 of those cities, their churches encountered organist vacancies where Kay happily assumed the role for extended periods. In Chesterfield, she built her dream home in the Wildhorse subdivision where she and Paul lived for 30 years, and where she spent countless hours at the neighborhood pool. She was a long-time member of St. John’s Lutheran in Ellisville. Following her declining health, Kay and Paul moved to Meramec Bluffs Senior Living Facility in Ballwin in December of 2021.
Kay was passionate about many things, with music, piano, and organ playing topping the list. She also loved butterflies despite having a life-long deep distaste for birds, which friends and family may remember with a chuckle. She was always up for a good April Fool’s joke and enjoyed giving and receiving greeting cards for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and special occasions. She was a wonderful cook and the catalyst of consistent 6 p.m. sit-down dinners every night while raising her family. Her chocolate chip cookies are famous to this day among family and friends. She was smart as a whip and loved putting her mind to use playing Trivial Pursuit with family and competing against her husband while watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. She was a die-hard Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeyes fan and got an early glimpse of what Heaven may feel like when the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016. And most recently she and Paul enjoyed following Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, harkening memories of her own high school days playing the old-school half court 6-on-6 basketball unique to Iowa.
Kay, along with her contagious positivity and infectious laugh, will be deeply missed and always remembered by all who knew and loved her.
Kay is survived by her husband Paul; her children David (Teresa) Armstrong, Neal (Esther) Armstrong, and Joel (Anne) Armstrong, and her grandchildren Allie Armstrong, Rachel Armstrong, Peter Armstrong, Alex Armstrong, Aaron Armstrong, and Adam Armstrong; her sister Connie (Roger) Hansen and brother Al (Cathie) Johannsen; and many nieces and nephews.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
Share