Gary Wayne Armstrong was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 12, 1963. He was the middle child with two sisters. He was married for six short years. Gary joined the fire department after a house fire in his own home with his wife the day before Christmas Eve. He fought the fire in the attic by himself until the fire department arrived. It was no surprise when days later he would come home with the application to join the Mt. Washington Fire Department. The discussion was simple, he had to help others as they had helped him. Gary progressed through the ranks quickly starting as an Engineer, then Lieutenant and ultimately Captain of Station 3 for the Mt. Washington Fire Department.

Gary had the biggest heart of gold. He truly cared about others and would go out of his way to help anyone in need. He was not boastful about all of the wonderful things he did either. At his funeral so many people shared stories of how he had assisted them with changing a tire on the side of the road and never told anyone. Another lady told how she was broken down at a convenient store and he helped her get her car running and would not leave her until he was sure she was ok. He never told anyone of the multiple good deeds he had done; he would just quietly be there for someone in need. He was truly one of a kind.

We lost a beautiful soul the day Gary died. He left us with broken hearts. But we will be forever grateful for the time we had with him but it was not nearly enough. While Gary was quiet and serious to some, he really was a huge kid at heart. He loved to make you smile and his smile would light up the room. His laugh was infectious and he loved to see others happy. There were so many dimensions to Gary. At his core, he was a kind, caring, compassionate man with a servant’s heart. He valued his faith, community, and his family.

Gary was born to be a firefighter. All he wanted to do was to protect…and that was from people to animals. When these fine men and women make the decision to become a firefighter their loved ones make it with them. They need the support of their families to be successful. Gary was never happier than when he was out on a call making a difference in his community doing what he called his “little part.” We are so grateful that he found his passion before his passing. So many of us never find that passion in our whole lives. While he may not be with us anymore, he lives on in our hearts forever. We love you!