Scott Armstrong

Scott Dennis Armstrong died peacefully at his home in Chester, New York on Thursday morning, October 6, 2016, at the age of forty-nine. He was surrounded by beloved family, friends, and his dog, Max, who passed away on Friday afternoon, October 7. Scott was born in Albany, New York on February 25, 1967 to Ronald and Agnes Fingerlin Armstrong. The family moved to Altamont in 1970, residing in the vicinity of the extended Armstrong clan. Scott enjoyed his Altamont childhood, riding bikes, camping, fishing, and tagging along with his father to numerous local sporting events. Scott received his Regents diploma from Guilderland High School in 1985, and went on to study electrical engineering and theatre at Hudson Valley Community College and the State University of New York at Albany. His love of theatre began at age three, when he sang in the children's chorus of the opera Carmen. He took child roles with the Guilderland Players in such shows as Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific. While in high school, he sang in choirs, and continued performing in plays and musicals. His first professional job in theatre was with Specialized Audio and Visual (SAVI) in Clifton Park, New York. This led to a long and satisfying career in audio engineering, and a job with a touring production of The Sound of Music, the first of his many national non-union and union tours. Scott was pleased that his career took him to forty-eight out of the fifty states, and that he picked up the forty-ninth and fiftieth a?" Hawaii and Alaska a?" on separate vacations. Scott loved to travel and had an affinity for our national parks. While living in Las Vegas, Nevada, he worked for Cirque du Soleil and was the third person ever to mix their long-running Las Vegas production, MystAre. He became a member of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 720, and kept his membership current through the rest of his life. After numerous "last tours," Scott retired from the road for the final time in 2005. He was proud to have toured with such productions as Kiss of the Spider Woman, SPIRIT, Gumboots, STOMP, Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, and Flower Drum Song. He and his wife Peg married in 2006, making their home in Monroe, New York, where Scott became active in sustainability issues. He served as treasurer of the Hudson Valley Biodiesel Co-op; was proud to patronize and hold a CSA membership at Blooming Hill Farm in Blooming Grove, New York; and for a short time volunteered at hydro-powered local radio station WJFF in Jeffersonville, New York. He took great satisfaction in fostering dogs for Boxer Angels Rescue. Scott continued to make his living in theatre as a freelancer, working at John Jay College's Gerald W. Lynch Theatre and building sound systems for Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and national tours. In 2008, Scott contracted pulmonary pneumonitis, which led to a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. He continued to live his life, working, attending Yankees games, vacationing, and pursuing his personal interests, with the assistance of supplementary oxygen. In July of 2016 he contracted pneumonia, and after a short hospital stay entered in-home hospice. Scott received kind and devoted care from his home hospice team, and his family is very grateful to Joanne, Mary, Helen, Donna, Ellen, Gina, and Sr. Ann, as well as to his longtime pulmonologist, Dr. Nancy Linneman. Scott is survived by his wife of ten years, Peg Schuler Armstrong of Chester; mother Agnes Armstrong of Altamont; sisters Brenda Goodknight of Altamont and Rebecca (Steve) Harris of Tully, New York; sister-in-law Mary P. Menszak of Ambler, Pennsylvania; brother-in-law Gerard E. Schuler, Jr., of Oaklyn, New Jersey; mother-in-law Mary Heade of Woodbury, New Jersey; father-in-law Gerard E. Schuler, Sr., of Oaklyn, New Jersey; uncles Roger (Karen) Fingerlin, Mark (Heather) Fingerlin, Gerald Armstrong, and Hugo Clearwater; aunts Marilyn Armstrong, Darcy (Beverly Grisales) Armstrong, and Lois Crommelin; great-aunt Ella Armstrong; nieces Dana Goodknight, Kara Goodknight, Bethany Harris, Kelly Harris, and Sydney Menszak; nephews Maxwell Goodknight, Nicholas Goodknight, and Todd Menszak; cousins Jennifer (Trent) Roadcap, Amanda (James) Nick, Krisi Davis, Justin (Kim) Davis, Craig (Charity) Armstrong, Rodney (Brooke) Armstrong, Philip Armstrong; and extended family and friends. Scott was predeceased by his father Ronald, paternal grandparents William and Hilda Armstrong, maternal grandparents Lewis and Lois Fingerlin, and aunt Dianne Clearwater. A Service of Remembrance will take place at 11:00am on Monday, November 14 at Mulder Chapel on the campus of The Warwick Center, 62 Warwick Center Road, Warwick, New York. Brunch will follow. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable donations for The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and/or The Humane Society of Blooming Grove. Interment of cremains will take place in the spring at Woodlawn Cemetery, Berne, New York. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of the giver's choice, or to groups advocating for 'death with dignity' laws (such as www.deathwithdignity.org).