Louis Henry Armstrong

Louis (Lou) Henry Armstrong, of Centreville, Maryland, passed on June 28, 2026, at UM Shore Medical Center with both his loving wife and son at his side holding his hands. Lou was born March 12, 1942, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Winifred Armstrong (ne Fuller) and Louis Henry Armstrong, III. Lou graduated from Towson High School where he played soccer and lacrosse and was president of his high school fraternity. Following graduation, Lou attended Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, before attending Johns Hopkins University where he attained his master’s degree. Following graduation from Johns Hopkins, Lou followed his passion to be an educator, serving in the roles of teacher, Vice Principal, Principal and administrator. Along the way, Lou’s talents and gift for communication caught the attention of the private sector, leading him to accept a position in management at Tidewater Publishing. Following close to a decade of employment in the private sector, Lou’s passion for being in the classroom led him to return to education before retiring from the Caroline County, Maryland, Board of Education. Among the notable achievements of Lou’s career in education were organizing the first Earth Day celebration at Patterson High School (Baltimore) and starting and coaching the first wrestling team at Queen Anne’s County High School (Centreville). A life-long enthusiast of lacrosse, both as a player and coach, Lou founded and coached the Eagles Youth Lacrosse Program in Centreville as well as serving in various other coaching roles in area youth lacrosse programs. At the age of 50, Lou played in the Lacrosse International North/South All-Stars Game at Johns Hopkins wherein he kept a clean sheet as goalie (crediting not just his skill and talent, but also the generous shot of bourbon he allowed himself before entering the game). In addition to his instrumental role in youth lacrosse on the Eastern Shore, Lou was involved for many years as both an organizer and coach in youth soccer in Centreville. Lou’s passion for lacrosse was only surpassed by his love of all things water and boating. Lou was an avid sailor and former Commodore of the Corsica River Yacht Club (CRYC). While a member of the CRYC, Lou promoted the Wednesday evening adult sail and was responsible for overseeing the sailing classes offered by CRYC. If Lou couldn’t be found at home, he was most likely on the water either sailing one of his boats or sailing as a crew member on Severn Run on which he was part of a team that won several PHRF-C Class races. As an avid environmentalist, Lou was an enthusiastic supporter of watershed conservancy, as a Corsica River water tester and as a member of the Corsica River Conservancy. Lou was a member of historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Centreville where he held numerous roles. During his time as a parishioner, Lou was a member of the vestry, a volunteer grounds crew member, an organizer of the annual Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner, an usher, Sunday school teacher and organizer of the Saturday men’s meetings. Lou was also a member of the Centreville Historical Society. Lou could often be found landscaping, building or tinkering in the garage at the home that he and his wife lovingly restored and maintained, Heights House. If not at work on his “estate” as he referred to his home, he was often in the pool spending time with his grandson, Kaelen. Lou never met a stranger and was known for his kindness, generosity, intellect, selflessness and endearing sense of humor. He was the embodiment of all things good and is remembered by almost all as someone who was constantly helping others while deflecting credit for doing so because, as he would often tell his son, “It’s the right thing to do.” Lou was an integral and prominent member of the Queen Anne’s County community and was a true “sho’man”, having spent more than fifty years actively contributing to his part of the Eastern Shore. Lou is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Carolyn Collier Baldwin Armstrong, whom he married on November 18, 1967, and his son and best friend, James (Jamie) Francis Baldwin Armstrong, who idolized his father and is forever grateful for his love, wisdom, support and enormous patience, his daughter in law Heather O’Hagan Armstrong, his grandson James Kaelen O’Hagan Armstrong, and by his sister in law, Shirley Jean Baldwin Derrickson of Delaware and numerous cousins. A voracious reader, Lou enjoyed anything in print, which he always said contributed to his “vast cesspool of worthless knowledge.”. Therefore, the family requests that any memorial donations be made to nonprofit, The Chesapeake Bay Journal, Bay Journal Media, PO Box 300, Mayo, Maryland 21106. Friends and neighbors are invited to a Celebration of Life to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Lou’s well-loved Heights House, with a catered lunch, stories, laughter, and remembrance. The pipes will play to usher this Scotsman Home.

Louis Henry Armstrong

March 12, 1942 - June 28, 2026