Judith A. (Thompson) Armstrong

Judith Ann Thompson York Armstrong of Plattsburgh, NY passed away peacefully Tuesday night, March 10, 2020 surrounded by her loving family.

Judith was at born at home in Port Henry, NY on May 21, 1938 to Alfred and Bernice (Spaulding) Thompson. Her father was a foreman for Delaware and Hudson, a third-generation railroader and her mother a homemaker, and former one-room schoolhouse teacher aid. Judith was predeceased by her parents and was the youngest of their nine children. She said she had the best parents in the world and reminisced about growing up on Elizabeth Street (Kennedy Row) under their loving guidance. Her childhood summers were spent playing with neighborhood children, swimming at the Rosie Hole, playing jump rope, hide-n-seek, riding bicycles bought by her brother Billy, and hopscotch with her sister Jane. Grapevines, plum trees, apple trees, and pear trees, tomatoes, and fresh strawberries grew in their idyllic yard, ripe for picking and eating during midday play among the lilacs and irises. Her mother, Bernice, canned everything in their garden and they ate this bounty during the long Champlain Valley winters.

Judith remembered worrying as a very young girl about her big brothers who served during WWII. Her father would read the newspaper closely every day for word of our troops. This instilled in her a lifelong appreciation for newspapers, and the work of journalists. Her day was never complete until she had read her Press-Republican and completed the crossword puzzle.

A very bright student, Judith was salutatorian of her eighth-grade class, graduated from Port Henry High School in 1955 and was voted Class Venus. She moved to Plattsburgh that summer and took a job as a telephone operator at the Bell Telephone Company on Oak Street. She happily lived in an apartment on Brinkerhoff Street which she shared with her sisters, Jean, a nurse, and Jane, also a telephone operator.

As a woman who loved music with a good rhythm, Judith enjoyed her nights out dancing to a juke box or a local band. On one of those nights out she met her first husband, Norman York, who was an airman at Plattsburgh Airforce Base. They married in November 1958 and soon moved to KI Sawyer, AFB in Michigan where they made their home.

When her first marriage ended, Judith returned to Plattsburgh with her two young daughters in late 1966 and worked as a PBX Operator at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital for over 20 years. She made a home on Peru Street in the John Collins Park Plattsburgh Housing Authority. With the eye of an artist she tastefully decorated their apartment on a modest budget, a challenge she enjoyed. One of her signature talents was tricking an empty cupboard into producing a tasty square meal. When she had a day off in the middle of the week should would sometimes make a large batch of chocolate chip cookies which she would instruct her daughters to share with the neighborhood children.

In the early 1970s, she met Roy Armstrong, her soon-to-be second husband. She said he too was a very nice dancer and a good step-father to her two daughters and a wonderful grandfather to all her grandchildren.

After retirement, Judith taught religion classes and donated to many charities for children in need. One of her greatest joys was time spent with her grandchildren at camp on the Ausable River during family weekends and cookouts delighting in the grandchildren’s discoveries of sparkling rocks, sunfish, and baby turtle hatchlings emerging from the lawn.

Judith was predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Roy H. Armstrong, step-son Keith T. Armstrong, brothers Alfred Thompson, Frank Thompson, Arthur Thompson, and William Thompson, sisters Joyce Sweet, and Joan Petro, sisters-in-law Rita Thompson, Betty Thompson, Norma Thompson, brothers-in-law Adam Petro, Salvatore Leombruno, and Cyrus Raynor, and best friend Joyce Meeks.

Judith is survived by two daughters: Linda J. York, of North Carolina, and Valerie A. York of Morrisonville, NY; former sons-in-law Christopher Santa, Robert Benak, and Eric Aycock; two step-daughters, Pamela Ledwith of Plattsburgh, NY and Christi Goetz of Morrisonville, NY; 17 grandchildren, Marcus Santa and wife Elizabeth of North Carolina, Britten Aycock and wife Gabrielle of Glens Falls, NY, Bailey Aycock of Morrisonville, NY, Benjamin Aycock of Keeseville, NY, Kirsten Raye, Alison Ledwith, Hillary Ledwith, Ryan Ledwith, Katie Perrone, Sarah Ledwith, Stephen Dutilly, Stephanie Wood, Tracey Kenyon, Roy Armstrong, Jessica Stevens-Dubuque, Sierra Armstrong, and Nicholas Armstrong; 33 great grandchildren including Annabelle Santa, Allie Santa, Dane Aycock and Sylas Aycock; 6 great-great grandchildren; her sisters Jean Leombruno of Tacoma, WA and Jane Raynor of Port Henry, NY; and brother-in-law John Sweet of Port Henry, NY; many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be on Sunday, March 15th, from 2 to 4 PM at Harland Funeral Home, 4279 South Main Street, Port Henry, NY.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, March 16th at 11:00 AM at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 12 St. Patrick’s Place, Port Henry, NY.

Interment will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Moriah.

Judith’s favorite charity was any charity for children.

Judith Ann Thompson York Armstrong of Plattsburgh, NY passed away peacefully Tuesday night, March 10, 2020 surrounded by her loving family.

Judith was at born at home in Port Henry, NY on May 21, 1938 to Alfred and Bernice (Spaulding) Thompson. Her father was a foreman for Delaware and Hudson, a third-generation railroader and her mother a homemaker, and former one-room schoolhouse teacher aid. Judith was predeceased by her parents and was the youngest of their nine children. She said she had the best parents in the world and reminisced about growing up on Elizabeth Street (Kennedy Row) under their loving guidance. Her childhood summers were spent playing with neighborhood children, swimming at the Rosie Hole, playing jump rope, hide-n-seek, riding bicycles bought by her brother Billy, and hopscotch with her sister Jane. Grapevines, plum trees, apple trees, and pear trees, tomatoes, and fresh strawberries grew in their idyllic yard, ripe for picking and eating during midday play among the lilacs and irises. Her mother, Bernice, canned everything in their garden and they ate this bounty during the long Champlain Valley winters.

Judith remembered worrying as a very young girl about her big brothers who served during WWII. Her father would read the newspaper closely every day for word of our troops. This instilled in her a lifelong appreciation for newspapers, and the work of journalists. Her day was never complete until she had read her Press-Republican and completed the crossword puzzle.

A very bright student, Judith was salutatorian of her eighth-grade class, graduated from Port Henry High School in 1955 and was voted Class Venus. She moved to Plattsburgh that summer and took a job as a telephone operator at the Bell Telephone Company on Oak Street. She happily lived in an apartment on Brinkerhoff Street which she shared with her sisters, Jean, a nurse, and Jane, also a telephone operator.

As a woman who loved music with a good rhythm, Judith enjoyed her nights out dancing to a juke box or a local band. On one of those nights out she met her first husband, Norman York, who was an airman at Plattsburgh Airforce Base. They married in November 1958 and soon moved to KI Sawyer, AFB in Michigan where they made their home.

When her first marriage ended, Judith returned to Plattsburgh with her two young daughters in late 1966 and worked as a PBX Operator at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital for over 20 years. She made a home on Peru Street in the John Collins Park Plattsburgh Housing Authority. With the eye of an artist she tastefully decorated their apartment on a modest budget, a challenge she enjoyed. One of her signature talents was tricking an empty cupboard into producing a tasty square meal. When she had a day off in the middle of the week should would sometimes make a large batch of chocolate chip cookies which she would instruct her daughters to share with the neighborhood children.

In the early 1970s, she met Roy Armstrong, her soon-to-be second husband. She said he too was a very nice dancer and a good step-father to her two daughters and a wonderful grandfather to all her grandchildren.

After retirement, Judith taught religion classes and donated to many charities for children in need. One of her greatest joys was time spent with her grandchildren at camp on the Ausable River during family weekends and cookouts delighting in the grandchildren’s discoveries of sparkling rocks, sunfish, and baby turtle hatchlings emerging from the lawn.

Judith was predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Roy H. Armstrong, step-son Keith T. Armstrong, brothers Alfred Thompson, Frank Thompson, Arthur Thompson, and William Thompson, sisters Joyce Sweet, and Joan Petro, sisters-in-law Rita Thompson, Betty Thompson, Norma Thompson, brothers-in-law Adam Petro, Salvatore Leombruno, and Cyrus Raynor, and best friend Joyce Meeks.

Judith is survived by two daughters: Linda J. York, of North Carolina, and Valerie A. York of Morrisonville, NY; former sons-in-law Christopher Santa, Robert Benak, and Eric Aycock; two step-daughters, Pamela Ledwith of Plattsburgh, NY and Christi Goetz of Morrisonville, NY; 17 grandchildren, Marcus Santa and wife Elizabeth of North Carolina, Britten Aycock and wife Gabrielle of Glens Falls, NY, Bailey Aycock of Morrisonville, NY, Benjamin Aycock of Keeseville, NY, Kirsten Raye, Alison Ledwith, Hillary Ledwith, Ryan Ledwith, Katie Perrone, Sarah Ledwith, Stephen Dutilly, Stephanie Wood, Tracey Kenyon, Roy Armstrong, Jessica Stevens-Dubuque, Sierra Armstrong, and Nicholas Armstrong; 33 great grandchildren including Annabelle Santa, Allie Santa, Dane Aycock and Sylas Aycock; 6 great-great grandchildren; her sisters Jean Leombruno of Tacoma, WA and Jane Raynor of Port Henry, NY; and brother-in-law John Sweet of Port Henry, NY; many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be on Sunday, March 15th, from 2 to 4 PM at Harland Funeral Home, 4279 South Main Street, Port Henry, NY.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, March 16th at 11:00 AM at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 12 St. Patrick’s Place, Port Henry, NY.

Interment will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Moriah.

Judith’s favorite charity was any charity for children.