Marie Lowrey Armstrong
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Slowing down and taking it easy is normal as we age.

Someone must have forgotten to tell that to Marie Lowrey Armstrong. The Oak Ridge resident who celebrates her 90th birthday on Aug. 1 is not about to put herself in that proverbial rocking chair and just watch the world go by.

Armstrong spends a big portion of her time helping others. On this particular day, she’s full of enthusiasm after returning from the Shepherd’s Center of Kernersville.

The center focuses on enriching the lives of older or disabled adults through calls, visits, counseling and other programs. Many of the people are homebound and have no relatives. Armstrong volunteers two or three times a month with the center’s Telephone Reassurance Ministry, making sure that clients receive a daily phone call. She has 22 people that she talks to regularly. "For many of them, this may be the only contact they have that day," she says.

She also volunteers to deliver flowers to the center’s clients. "I can’t say enough good things about the Shepherd’s Center," she says. "I consider it one of my better days (when I go there). I come home feeling rewarded. It’s a resource for refreshment."

Armstrong’s work has not gone unnoticed. "Marie has been a blessing to the staff and those she serves," says Ruth Woosley, the center’s executive director. "She is delightful, energetic and has a wonderfully contagious attitude."

Armstrong is also very involved in activities of her church, Oak Ridge Presbyterian. Her biggest project is making sure that roughly 1,400 pounds of surplus food is picked up each week from the Oak Ridge and Cardinal’s Lowes Foods stores and delivered to Greensboro Urban Ministry. She coordinates volunteers to pick up the food five days a week and transport it to downtown Greensboro. While most of her work is accomplished through e-mail, she herself handles one trip each month and often does more when another volunteer isn’t available for a particular time slot.

She’s also head of the prayer chain and sings in the choir, and is a member of the Outreach Committee, which sees that visitors are properly welcomed to the church. In this role, she sends letters to visitors and makes sure they’re invited to a quarterly church breakfast.

Although all of her volunteer activities are rewarding, there’s one that she’s especially passionate about. "The joy of my life is teaching Spanish to 4-year-olds at the Presbyterian preschool," she says with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. "That is pleasure – pure joy."

Armstrong teaches at the school twice a week. "I’ve had several parents say that their kids learned more Spanish in preschool than in elementary," says Joan Aydelette, director of the preschool.

After working to become fluent in the Spanish language at age 55, Armstrong teaches the basics – colors, numbers, and days of the week – but she kicks it up a notch by using activities such as setting a table or making a peanut butter sandwich to teach more difficult words. Accompanied by her guitar, she teaches the children Spanish songs. "She really works hard at planning the lessons," Aydelette says. "She makes it a lot of fun."

The petite dynamo is also an active member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization, an international woman’s group dedicated to promoting higher education for women. Her chapter meets monthly and holds various fundraisers to provide scholarships.

A staunch supporter of Oak Ridge Military Academy, where 19 of her family members attended, Armstrong played a significant role in the development of the academy’s museum. She spent five years culling through documents, books and photographs to piece together the school’s history. Her work is now part of the museum and she derives great pleasure from taking people to view the collection.

What’s made Armstrong so vibrant at her age? "I think it was the dancing," she says. She and her late husband, Don, danced all over the world, teaching square dancing, contra and folk dancing. "Staying physically active has helped."

She recently flew to Germany, where the couple had established some strong friendships, to attend a weekend memorial in her husband’s memory. Of course, they wanted her to dance. Although she admits being a bit unsure, she danced anyway. "I felt so rejuvenated," she says.

While Armstrong has a real heart for service, she admits that there’s also a selfish motive. "I do these things because I’m lonesome and I want something to do," she confides.

While this may be a motivation, one thing is sure – Armstrong’s acts of service and endearing personality have made a difference in the lives of many area folks.

By Annette Joyce - Copyright Northwest Observer. Visit the NWO Website!