Rev. Dr. Thomas  Armour

Died: Jun 15, 2015

Dr. Thomas P. Armour, 84, a former Pastor at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey, died 15 June at Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida following a lengthy illness. A guide for his life’s work can be found in a New Testament verse from the Gospel of John, Chapter 15: I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Reverend Armour was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1930. He graduated from Concordia Junior College in Milwaukee, served a two year vicarage assignment there, moving on to graduate from the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod’s Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1956. He married Lois Froehlich shortly thereafter. He served as a teacher, basketball and swimming coach at Concordia College in Milwaukee beginning in 1956. In January 1957 he was ordained and served as a Sunday Assistant Pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin in addition to his assignment at Concordia College. In August 1959 he accepted a call to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lawrence Township, New Jersey and was instrumental in helping foster continued growth in the venerable congregation. Under Pastor Armour’s guiding hand the congregation grew and moved services from the local middle school to a new church building and fellowship hall on Princeton Pike. In 1964, Pastor Armour accepted a call from Elm Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elm Grove, Wisconsin; a much larger congregation with a parochial school. There he served as an Assistant to the Pastor. In the fall of 1966, Pastor Armour received a call to Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Gethsemane had been without a Pastor for a lengthy period. The family returned to New Jersey and Pastor Armour began his ministry at Gethsemane in January of 1967, a ministry that would continue for over 31 years. While at Gethsemane, Pastor Armour was elected to the Hackettstown Board of Education, serving for 14 years. He served several terms as District Vice President for the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, Atlantic District; and for three years was a Pastoral Assistant to the Atlantic District Lutheran Layman’s League. In 1995, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. His dissertation was titled "Revitalizing the Role of the Laity in the Worship Life of the Church." In 1975, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Mill Neck Family of Organizations, and served for 40 years in various capacities including Board President. The Mill Neck Family of Organizations, founded by the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, works to enhance the quality of life for people who are Deaf, or who have other special communication needs, through excellence in individually designed educational, vocational or spiritual programs and services. Mill Neck Manor Lutheran School for the Deaf, operates on the former Lillian Sefton Dodge estate located at Mill Neck in Nassau County, New York. Pastor Armour’s service to others continued in retirement as the Director of Senior Ministry at Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida for another 10 years. Dr. Armour is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lois; Brothers-in-law: Nord Froehlich (Barbara); Rev. Ronald Froehlich; Rev. Charles Froehlich (Kathleen); Sister-in-law: Carole McDuffie (Blake); sons Lieutenant Colonel David Armour (Regina); James Armour (Paula); daughters Karen Armour-Hoke (Chris); and Kristin Banse (Kyle); nine Grandchildren and a Granddaughter-in-law;; nieces and nephews. Visitation hours will be held at the Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 on Friday, June 19th from 5-8 pm. A funeral service will be held at the Gethsemane Lutheran Church 409 E. Baldwin Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 at 10 am with the Rev. Terry Herzberg officiating. Burial will follow at the Pequest Union Cemetery, Great Meadows, NJ. For those desiring, donations may be made to the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf, 34 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, NY 11765 or to the Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 409 E. Baldwin Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 or to the Zion Lutheran Church, 7401 Winkler Road, Fort Myers, FL 33919 in memory of Thomas.

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