Obituary of Michael Brent Armstrong

Michael “Brent” Armstrong, of Morgantown, also known to family and friends as Mike or Bubs, respectively, passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2017, at the age of 67. Born on December 13, 1949, at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD, Brent had dealt with a number of different cancers since 2012. He was the son of the late Walter and Jane Armstrong. Being the son of a Navy Chief Yeoman, he traveled extensively during his youth including Kodiak, AK, and Rabat, Morocco. However, he spent most of his life in West Virginia and considered it his home state – a West Virginian by choice if not birth. He was blessed to have exceptional parents who raised him to respect his elders, work hard, and treat others the way you would want to be treated. He is survived by several family members including his wife Brenda Braham Armstrong, daughter Erin Armstrong (by his first wife Linda Lawrence Wilson); stepdaughter Emily Sinkule; younger sister, Gwen Doyle, her husband Steve, and their family; his stepmother, Martha Armstrong; and stepsisters, Jeanine Rogers, Kim Robinson, and Laurie McCracken; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Fred and Connie Braham; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Freddie and Cindy Braham and Ken and Connie Braham. Brent often said that what he would miss most about life is the times spent with family and good friends. Brent had a rewarding career all phases of which he enjoyed. After receiving his MBA from Virginia Tech in 1974, he worked for 27 years for the U. S. Department of Energy, and its predecessor agencies the Atomic Energy Commission and Energy Research and Development Administration, until his retirement in 2001. He received a Meritorious Executive Award from President George W. Bush in Washington, DC, in October 2001, the second highest honor for a senior executive in the Federal Government. He then worked for EG&G/URS from 2001-2008 where he served as Vice President for Energy, Environment, and Health Services from 2005-2008. In April 2008, he accepted the position of Executive Vice President for Performance Results Corporation (PRC), a small business. In April 2010, he left PRC and began his own part-time management consulting practice, providing advice and support to companies on Federal Government contracts and proposals, which he continued doing until his death. He authored, or co-authored, over 30 articles in professional magazines during his career. Brent and Brenda enjoyed the simple pleasures of life such as an annual shopping trip to Amish Country in Berlin, Ohio, with her parents; family get-togethers; endeavoring to make his yard and landscaping the best in the neighborhood; and eating out with family and friends. Not being big-time travelers, Brenda and Brent preferred to find enjoyment in Morgantown and surrounding areas. He was also known for his Elvis and Stata Claus impersonations. Although not a regular churchgoer, Brent had a very strong belief in God and in His son and Savior, Jesus Christ. He prayed daily and professed his faith often to others. He knew, without a doubt, that Heaven is for real. He loved life but, because of his faith, he was not afraid of death. His feelings about death are profoundly expressed in this poem by the late Helen Steiner Rice titled When I Must Leave You: When I must leave your for a little while, Please do not grieve and shed wild tears, And hug your sorrow to you through the years. But start out bravely with a gallant smile; And for my sake and in my name, Live on and do all things the same. Feed not your loneliness on empty days, But fill each waking hour in useful ways, Reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer, And I, in turn, will comfort and hold you near. And never, never be afraid to die, For I am waiting for you in the sky. Per Brent’s request, he was cremated and wanted a short obituary so, always the author, he wrote it himself. Also, per his request, there will be a private memorial or graveside service at a later date for family and close friends. Cremation services were provided by Hastings Funeral Home.