Robert Bush Armstrong
Photograph courtesy of Robert’s family, obtained from his online obituary.
Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Sanchez Unit, El Paso
"A Hero." Robert Bush Armstrong was someone who gave his heart, time, and soul to the people in his medical facility. Robert (known as Bob or Bobby to his friends and colleagues), born in El Paso in 1964, left a glowing legacy in his short years. According to his director at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at the Rogelio Sanchez State Jail, he had a "golden service heart." He died June 16, 2020.
Bob prepared for his life work by taking medical and pharmaceutical classes and graduating from The University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing with his BSN in 1995. He returned to UTEP and graduated with his MSN, becoming an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in 2012. Denise DeShields, his executive medical director, summed up his professional achievements in an ABC-7 story: "For those of you who knew him, I am sure you found him to be intelligent, articulate and skilled. He had a golden service heart and was the epitome of 'Beyond Service.' His dedication to Managed Care and the Sanchez facility were unparalleled, and he will be sorely missed."
Photograph obtained from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
He will be missed by his family and friends. He was a compassionate and loving husband, father, son and friend. They will certainly miss his ability to make people laugh, to share his joy in living. As you can see from his photographs, he always had a sparkle in his eyes, an invitation to share the secrets of living—his family and friends can take comfort in knowing that they, too, shared his vision of joy. And surely that ability to make people laugh was a benefit when working in a jail setting with people who had acute medical problems. His El Paso newspaper obituary noted: "Bobby's goal every waking moment was to make people laugh, and he succeeded."
Photograph courtesy of Robert’s family, obtained from his online obituary.
He is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Wendy L. Lara, Las Cruces: his adoring daughter, Maggie Mae Armstrong, El Paso; son Robert M Armstrong, California; niece Jessica Autrey and her 5 children, Marysville, MI; and his proud parents, Robert C. and Jan Parsons Armstrong, El Paso.
The family hopes any remembrances will be sent to The Humane Society of El Paso, 4991 Fred Wilson Road, El Paso, Texas 79906. The mortuary also has a program where friends can plant a Memory Tree.
This memorial was written by MOL team member Terri LeClerq with information from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, from Robert’s online obituary published in the Las Cruces Sun News, and from reporting by Jim Parker of ABC-7 News.