Children reach father’s high goals, honor legacy
Richard Armstrong, dressed in his comfy blue overalls, cap on his head, dog tags around his neck and cigar perched on the edge of lip, exclaimed, “A Texas hello to you, too,” to every person who greeted us during our Christmas visit of 2016 to Asheville, N.C.
Richard, Clarice, Jeffery, Yolanda and Noreal, the Armstrong five, were together again for the first time in a long time to celebrate the holiday season. We siblings have each carved different paths for our lives, but one constant was the love, encouragement and drive that our father instilled in us.
Twenty-seven years ago, the legacy of education, achievement and success created by our father for his children was shared with the Texarkana community. Today, we want to share that his legacy lives on, and we continue to honor him for his vision. Growing up as the baby had its perks; however, I was
held to the same standards set by my sister and brother. Going to college wasn’t an option—it was the next step in the progression toward success.
Being successful takes work, and our father knew that. We each have memories of watching and learning from our father. He taught us how to listen, to think critically and to use our knowledge to challenge the status quo. Our father encouraged us to be financially prudent so we can enjoy the success of life in our later years. He provided each of us with what we needed and most of what we wanted to be successful, and the only price we had to pay was: “Be the best you can be.”
“Eat, sleep and study,” the motto by which we all lived, was one of many in our household. Our father wanted us to be like Nike and “Just do it.” He just wanted us to do what we needed to do to be successful, and he would handle the rest, which is exactly what he did.
He made sure our bachelor’s degrees didn’t leave us in debt; he listened when we talked about our happy, sad and bad days; he shared his wisdom when the road became tough; and he challenged our thoughts when we felt like giving up.
“We are not sure how our mother and father did all that they did for our success, but we are grateful and extremely blessed that they did,” Yolanda said. Our father always had a vision and always taught us to prepare for the future. That vision now lives in us. We know that God is the provider for all we have and our father and mother were the teachers through which these lessons were taught.
“Every day, my thought process is to strive to be better today than I was yesterday,” Jeffery said. “That is a testament to Dad’s constant teachings to all of us as children to be the best that we can be in life.”
Our father’s lived experiences—from the football field at Dunbar High School, to serving in the Air Force in South Korea, to earning his master’s degree in sociology from Hunter College—shaped the man who became our father and created the foundation for the achievements we’ve accomplished. Our father was supported by our mother, Clarice Armstrong, a registered nurse from Providence, R.I. He met Clarice during his time in the military and knew she would be the one to help him be a good husband and father. Together, they made our family strong.
Today, Jeffery, with his earned master’s degree from Ohio State University, works as a sports writer for Newnan TimesHerald in Newnan, Ga. He has a distinguished career in the communications sector throughout Atlanta (Ga.).
Yolanda earned her master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of North Texas and has worked as a project manager, logistics coordinator and training facilitator in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Atlanta, and currently works in Housing and Residence Life at UNT.
As for me, the youngest of the bunch, I recently earned my terminal doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I currently work as an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Montreal College in Asheville, N.C.
Richard Armstrong is a man with a plan who still has strong purpose. He knew what type of father and husband he wanted to be, and he fulfilled that dream and so much more. As we reflect on the past, we are overjoyed with the fond memories we have as Armstrong children. Every graduation, every big event and many of the small ones, our parents were there by our sides celebrating our success and encouraging us to continue to excel and to be the best.
Our father knew how the world could be, and he wanted to prepare his family to stand tall in any setting we walked into, and he knew that confidence would come through education. So, high goals were set, our home life was strict, and we wouldn’t change a thing, because we are who we are because of it. For the legacy and for the love, we graciously say, “Thank you.”