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Obituary for Robert Walter Armbrust

Robert Walter  Armbrust
Robert W. Armbrust, 84, passed away on January 18, 2017. Born in Greenport, New York to Walter and Dorothy (Parizot) Armbrust, he was the oldest of three children. Despite spending nearly two years in the hospital after sustaining polio, Bob graduated as valedictorian of his Mattituck, NY, high school. He went on to earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Chemical Engineering from Newark College of Engineering, now known as New Jersey Institute of Technology. Bob married Ruth Klotz in 1956.
Born into humble circumstances, he picked potatoes beginning at seven years of age until entering the hospital at age 16 and his work ethic never left him. His engineering career spanned more than 30 years at Allied Chemical where he ran the Technical, Research and Business Evaluation Group. Bob and Ruth moved to East Wakefield New Hampshire in 1986 where he began his second career as a tax preparer and financial advisor. He and Ruth also built and owned Mountainside Business Center in Ossipee, New Hampshire. His professional activities included Toastmasters International, Association of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, where he served as President, and other chemical industry groups. His community activities included Little League Coach/Manager, President of the Morris Plains, NJ school board, Boy Scout director, and board member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Upon moving to NH, he and Ruth joined the East Wakefield Volunteers and he served a volunteer with SCORE. He served as Treasurer of the Wakefield School Board, President of the Pine River Pond Association, and President of the Wolfeboro, NH Duplicate Bridge Club.
Robert is survived by his daughter, Lori, and her husband, Tom Howell, of Eliot, Maine, his son, Wayne, of Patterson, California, and grandchildren, Hannalea Howell and Pierce Howell, both of Eliot, Maine. He leaves sister-in-law Jane Mather Armbrust of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; his brother, Ralph Armbrust, having passed away in 2016, sister, Kathryn Armbrust Hunt of High Falls, North Carolina; his brother-in-law, Lew Hunt also having passed away in 2016, and seven nieces and nephews: Marc Roeloffs, Saddlebrook , New Jersey, Brian Roeloffs, Sussex, New Jersey, Debbie Armbrust Kuhn, Holtsville, New York, Nancy Armbrust Kotula, Shelter Island, New York, Scott Armbrust, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Melissa Hunt Lewis, New Bern, North Carolina and Daniel Hunt, High Falls, North Carolina.

Bob loved all things technical and often devised gadgets and methods to improve his own mobility so that he participated in nearly all activities, including golf, hiking, horseshoes, ping pong and wakeboarding, a credit to his ingenuity and the way he lived his life. He loved geology and sought out both well-known and obscure geological sites of interest across the U.S. with his family. He was a bit of a card shark in college and earned his pocket money by emptying the pockets of his fellow students in poker and bridge games. Bridge was a life-long passion and his neighbors and friends during his final years at Huntington Commons remember him for his love of the game and patient mentorship and instruction.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Wakefield Food Pantry, P.O. Box 426, Wakefield, NH 03872. An informal gathering in Bob’s memory will be held at his home in East Wakefield, NH, on Sunday, January 22, 2017, beginning at noon. Please email Lori at lahowell@spinneycreek.com for directions.


To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Bob ’s Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are in care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043.
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