Co-workers remember Armstrong with bench, tree and scholarship

Co-workers and friends are remembering Jeff Armstrong, a member of the facilities staff, with a memorial bench by the Tunungwant Creek, a tree, and a scholarship.

Armstrong, who worked at Pitt-Bradford for 40 years, died unexpectedly in October at the age of 60.

Heartbroken colleagues began discussions about finding a way to remember Armstrong on campus.

Led by the Pitt-Bradford Staff Association, employees chose to place a bench along the creek in his memory, and an anonymous donor offered to purchase a tree. Armstrong was an avid outdoorsman, and both memorials were appealing because of his love for and pride in the campus's grounds.

“It did not take long to raise the money needed for the bench,” said Jessica Kramer, president of the Staff Association. “So many staff members wanted to do something to remember Jeff. The hardest part was asking people to be patient while Staff Association Council worked out the details for the bench and scholarship.”

With the $1,000 raised in excess of the cost of the bench, the Staff Association chose to make an annual scholarship to an environmental studies student during the 2016-17 academic year.

The association would like to make the gift annually or even endow a scholarship in Armstrong's honor, but continuing donations would be needed.

“We're grateful for all the donations we've received but would certainly welcome more to keep the scholarship funded in future years,” Kramer said.

Armstrong began working for Pitt-Bradford's first president, Dr. Donald Swarts, before he even graduated from high school, mowing Swarts's lawn, and sometimes staying for a bit to chat with him on the patio.

At the time of Armstrong's death, he was still taking care of the Pitt-Bradford president's home at 120 School St., where he built the garden walls himself with bricks from the old Bradford Hospital.

Student workers always took a shine to Armstrong, and he to them. He took students hunting and fishing. He knew their names for all the secret places on campus. They trusted him, and he taught them by modeling a work ethic that required always doing things the right way the first time and contributing the most possible to the orientation.

Contributions to the Jeffrey P. Armstrong Scholarship may made by contacting the Pitt-Bradford Office of Institutional Advancement at 814-362-5091 or by visiting www.givetoupb.org.