Donald Franklin Armstrong

Donald Franklin Armstrong, 55, of Little Rock, brother of Rev. Roger Armstrong of Rector, died Friday, March 7, 2008.

He was a retired elder in the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Born Feb. 11, 1953, in Rolla, Mo., he was the third son of Lyle and Elizabeth Armstrong. He grew up in Little Rock and attended Winfield United Methodist Church, where he first felt the call to ministry at age seven. He was licensed to preach in 1973 and gave his first sermon at Winfield.

He graduated from Hendrix College with a degree in theater arts in 1975 and Perkins School of Theology with a masters of theology in 1980. He was ordained a deacon in 1977 and elder in 1981. In 1982 he married Yvonne Crowe of Dallas.

He served United Methodist congregations in Arkansas, including Keith Memorial/L'eau Fraiz/Rolla, Hampton/Harrell/Faustina, Stephens/Mount Prospect, Mountain View-Little Rock, Asbury-Little Rock (associate), Sulphur Springs/Glendale, Mount Carmel/Rison and Pleasant Hill/Congo. He retired in 2005.

Creative in all that he did, he combined his talents in theater, vocal and instrumental music not only in his work with churches, but also in his lifelong commitment to community theater and music groups.

In 1996, he earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He worked for seven years as a psychiatric social worker at Little Rock Community Health Center, while also pastoring churches. Through his passionate social work with the mentally ill, he became a tireless advocate for the voiceless and underserved.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lyle Armstrong. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Yvonne Armstrong; his mother, Elizabeth Armstrong of Little Rock; two brothers, Roger E. Armstrong and wife Linda of Rector and Robert C. Armstrong and wife Mary of Texarkana, and one sister, Anne Holcomb and husband David of Little Rock.

A memorial service was held Monday, March 10, at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church in Little Rock. Memorials may be directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas.