James Riley Armstrong, Sr., 72, was a loving, humble, and hardworking father, grandfather, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend who left this world unexpectedly on Aug. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He was born on May 31, 1952, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to the late James Heltzel Armstrong and Georgie Snyder Armstrong. He was their firstborn son.
Two years after his birth, his father left their “Eagles Nest” farm in West Virginia to pursue an education. Consequently, He lived in five different states and attended four different schools before his family settled in Orem, Utah, where he attended Orem High School and graduated in 1970.
Prior to serving in the California North Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he attended Utah Technical College, where he played on the school basketball team.
Following his mission, he worked in oil refineries and on oil rigs in Utah and Wyoming, which eventually led him to join the Reno Local 350 Steamfitters Union, where he apprenticed and became a journeyman. In 1979, he became a member of California’s Local 342 Steamfitters Union in Concord, California, where he remained active throughout his life. During these years, he also studied and became a licensed general contractor and a licensed plumber.
On March 22, 1980, he married Connie Graham. They were blessed with three beautiful sons and resided in Reno, Nevada, Concord, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. They divorced in 1994.
He traveled and lived throughout the United States as he pursued various job opportunities. In whatever capacity he worked, he was exceptional. He was known throughout his union for his excellent work ethic and skills. However, he considered his greatest accomplishment to be his children and grandchildren. In recent years, he restructured his life to give him more time to be with them and more opportunities to actively participate in their lives. He loved creating adventures, making memories, and treasured time spent with them. Being “dad,” “grandpa,” and “Papa Jim” was his greatest joy. He loved his family, both immediate and extended. They were all in his orbit.
He was known for his loyalty, his big heart, and his generosity to others. He loved a good hard day’s work, riding a John Deere tractor, the hills of West Virginia, fishing, sports, watching volleyball, basketball, and football games, preparing a good meal to share with others, and chess. When he came to West Virginia to visit, he enjoyed having a cheese sandwich from the Propst store in Moyers.
Surviving are three sons, James Riley, Jr. (Amy), John Dice (Samantha) and Jack Andrew (Cristina); seven grandchildren, Blake, Addie, Sage, Ella, Evan, Maverick, and Asher; a sister Jane (Craig) Holdaway; and a brother Harry Dice Armstrong.
He was also preceded in death by a brother, John; maternal grandparents, HP and Cora Snyder; and paternal grandparents, Dice and Nina Armstrong.
Funeral services were held Saturday at the Lehi 34th Ward Chapel in Lehi, Utah. Interment was at the Orem City Cemetery in Orem, Utah.
