Funeral for William M. Armstrong

My father, William Morrison, passed away on September 9th after a brief, but difficult battle with Alzheimer's.

Bill was born in Northern Ireland on August 8, 1943. Although his upbringing was laden with hardship — fatherless, and at the height of political tension and national unrest — he spoke fondly of his homeland and always reminisced about his loved ones who still lived there.

As a young man, he immigrated to Canada, working as an aircraft mechanic during the Vietnam War. He later moved to the United States and became the owner and lead mechanic for a car restoration business. Throughout the years, he refurbished many classic vehicles that have won numerous awards at shows. However, his modesty prevented him from stealing the limelight from his work, instead taking pride in allowing the craftsmanship to speak for itself.

Through all his personal accomplishments, perhaps the most triumphant achievement in his life came in overcoming cancer — not once, but twice.

Despite his victory over cancer, Bill was sadly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2021 — a battle he would, unfortunately, succumb to. His dementia progressed rapidly over the course of just a few months. He had lost the ability to live his life's passion and work on exotic cars, and in the final months, became unable to dress himself properly or form coherent sentences. He was hospitalized after catching Covid-19 and suffered from an infection while in the hospital. After his release, he declined rapidly — he stopped eating, could no longer go to the bathroom properly, and could barely say single phrases.

Dad passed away on September 9th, 2022 at 12:05PM. It was raining outside, much like his homeland in Ireland. "Let it Be" by the Beatles played on a phone in the room. I held his hand in mine as he went — his hands were always so big.

I told him it was okay to let go — that he could finally rest — that we would be okay. I'd like to believe that he knew he was being called home.

My dad worked tirelessly to provide for us so that we could live better lives than he lived. He came home each night, his big hands marred in blisters and caked in dirt, so that ours may never know such ordeals. My final wish for him was to provide him with a proper burial service befitting such a selfless and loving man.

As our family began the arrangements, we discovered that the funeral expenses were much higher than anticipated. While we had previously started preparations for this occasion, dad's passing came more suddenly than any of us thought. I would appreciate your help with laying my dad to rest and giving him a proper burial. Any little donation would help immensely. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Michelle Armstrong