June 28, 1929 — Nov. 14, 2013

NATCHEZ — Funeral services for Thomas Kerr Armstrong Sr., 84, who died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at his residence, will be 3 p.m. today at Trinity Episcopal Church with the Rev. Walton W. Jones officiating.

Burial will follow at Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. until service time today at the church.

Armstrong was born on June 28, 1929, in Tampico, State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, son of Allen J. Armstrong and Melody Hall Armstrong.

Mr. Armstrong served as the President of The Armstrong Foundation, general partner of Rivercrest Limited Partnership and Armstrong Family Farm Partnership. He was a member of the board of directors of The Texas Steel Company for 35 years and served as Co-Chairman of the executive committee. He served on the board of directors of Liberty Manufacturing Company for many years.

He was a member of the advisory board of City Bank and Trust Company, succeeded by Deposit Guaranty National Bank and First American Bank for 26 years and served as chairman thereof. He was secretary of the Second Creek Watershed Drainage District for 15 years and was instrumental in its formation.

He was president of Armstrong Farms and Armstrong Oil and Land Corporation. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, served as Vestryman and in the capacity of both Junior and Senior Wardens. He served as Senior Warden during the formation and establishment of Trinity Episcopal Day School.

He was a member of the Founder’s Circle of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the President’s Club of The Heritage Foundation. He was a member of the Founders Society of Pacific Legal Foundation, a member of the advisory board of the National Foundation for Economic Education and a member of the Board of Governors of the Council for National Policy.

He attended the University of Mississippi and the University of Oklahoma. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was a first Lieutenant serving with the 37th Infantry Division and the 10th Mountain Division from 1953-1955.

Mr. Armstrong was dedicated to the principles set forth by the founding fathers of this country as expressed in its Constitution. He opposed big government and supported free enterprise and deregulation both individually and through the activities of the Armstrong Foundation. He was a man of faith who loved his family, his church and his country.

He was preceded in death by his parents; paternal grandparents, Judge George W. Armstrong Sr. and Mamie Allen Armstrong and maternal grandparents, Henry Raymond Hall and Caroline Kerr Hall.

Survivors include his wife, Patsy Junkin Armstrong; daughter, Patricia Armstrong Dunavant; sons, Thomas Kerr Armstrong Jr., Allen Lawrence Armstrong and George W. Armstrong IV.; seven grandchildren, Thomas Kerr Armstrong III., Alexander Dowd Armstrong, Allen Lawrence Armstrong Jr., David Robert Dunavant, John Everett “Jack” Dunavant, Kelsey Armstrong and Ramsey Clark Armstrong; two great-grandchildren, Caroline Abshire Armstrong and Thomas Mason Armstrong.

Pallbearers will be Thomas Kerr Armstrong III, Alexander Dowd Armstrong, Allen L. Armstrong Jr., Ramsey Clark Armstrong, David Robert Dunavant Jr. and John “Jack” Everett Dunavant.

Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Durkin, Andrew Peabody, Frances Martin, Walter Heard Jr., Hayden Kaiser and Edward Eidt.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.