Man killed trying to stop thief remembered as gentle giant
Almost every Thursday morning, Iain Armstrong would meet for coffee with a group of men at Laurier Heights Baptist Church.
It wasn’t a prayer group, though often prayer was involved. It wasn’t necessarily a Bible study group, either, though they often would discuss passages from the Bible. Mostly they laughed, and talked — about sports, their jobs, their families, new gadgets, cars and travel. Borrowing a line from the old Flintstones cartoons, the fraternal group came to call themselves the Water Buffaloes.
“Usually by 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, we had saved their world for another week,” said Derek Bulmer, a member of the group.
Saving — standing up for what’s right, and helping those in need — was a thread running through a celebration of Armstrong ’s life Saturday in Edmonton.
Hundreds attended the memorial at Laurier Heights. His daughter Dana described him as a real-life Superman. He was remembered as a gentle giant, a source of strength who always had the tool you needed and who mixed a mean cocktail.
Armstrong, 61, was attacked around 10 a.m. April 17 while intervening in a theft at Southgate Centre. He died three days later. Jordan Martin Cushnie, 23, was arrested in Lac La Biche and charged with second-degree murder.
Armstrong was a natural athlete, and loved football. He was drafted by the B.C. Lions before a knee injury ended his professional football aspirations.
He leaves behind two children — Sean and Dana.
Brother-in-law Michael Seaman remembered Armstrong as a protector: “Ultimately it was Iain’s protective instinct that brought about his demise.”