Daniel Gerald Armstrong

Sep 21, 1959 — Sep 15, 2026

Keller, Texas

Daniel Gerard Armstrong, affectionately known as Danny and later Dan, Daddy, and Papa, passed away on September 15, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 66 years old. Dan was born September 21, 1959, at the U.S. Naval Base in Norfolk, Virginia, and grew up in Rockland, Massachusetts.

His maternal grandparents, Lillian and Sam White—lovingly known by all as Ma and Pa—were a cherished and important part of his childhood and formative years. Dan attended South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover, Massachusetts, where he became an exceptionally skilled carpenter. He never met a piece of wood he didn’t love—a fact apparently evident as early as his senior photo—and his talent for working with his hands stayed with him throughout his life. He passed that love on to his daughter Nicki, teaching her to use power tools fearlessly and inspiring in her the same love of building, fixing, and always having another project underway.
Dan and Terry met in 1988 and married in 1991, beginning what would become nearly four decades of life together. The Armstrongs moved from Massachusetts to Texas in 1992 when Terry’s career brought them south, and their son Daniel Jr. was born the following year. Danny Jr. was not only “the baby”; he was the only baby boy in the Armstrong family, and was the immediate favorite. Dan eventually traded carpentry tools for the open road, becoming a truck driver in the early 2000s. He remained behind the wheel until his retirement in 2023.
He was wonderfully laid-back and possessed the kind of infectious laugh that made everyone around him laugh, too. He had the most beautiful blue eyes, loved adventuring with his kiddos and spending time with his grandkiddos, and could be reliably counted on for a late-afternoon nap, a Bud Light (or 2), and his daily Wordle.Classic rock was the soundtrack to much of his life, with the Eagles holding a special place among his favorites.
Riding with Dan was not for the weak of heart—or the easily carsick—as he had a habit of tapping the accelerator pedal to the beat of whatever Eagles song was playing. And when the Eagles weren’t playing, there was a pretty good chance NPR was. Through good seasons and bad, he was a forever fan of the New England Patriots.Dan was also a talented chess player. He taught his daughter Ryann to play when she was very young, and after many years away from the game, the two had recently started playing together again—a special connection that had come full circle.And then there was the lottery... Dan remained fairly certain that his big win was just one drawing away and faithfully played every week. His family plans to keep playing his numbers in his honor—because surely he wouldn’t want them to miss the week they finally hit.
Above all, Dan loved his family. He adored his grandchildren and was extremely proud of Kathryn, Colin, AJ, Lexi, and Ian, and was so looking forward to finally holding his first great-grandson, Bear.

Dan is survived by his wife, Terry, daughters Nicki Sanders and her husband Aaron, Ryann Black and her husband Selden, and son Daniel Jr., his grandchildren, Kathryn and husband Colton, Colin, AJ, Lexi, and Ian, and great-grandson, Bear. He is also survived by his sister Philomena; his brother Paul and his wife, Kim; his sister Marilyn Viverito and her husband, Tony; his aunt Ronnie; his uncle John “Jay”; and many cousins. Dan was blessed with a large extended family and was deeply loved by his sisters-in-law Peggy and Marci, brother-in-Michael and many nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces.He was preceded in death by his mother, Bernadette (White) Armstrong; his beloved grandparents, Lillian and Sam White (Ma and Pa); his brother, Charles Armstrong III; his brother-in-law, Marty Tucker; and his aunts Peggy, Claire, Pat, and Evie.
After facing significant health challenges in the final months of his life, Dan died with the people he loved surrounding him.He drove Terry crazy with—well, pretty much everything. He made his family laugh, and he loved them deeply. A lifelong fan of Monty Python, Dan never took himself—or life—too seriously. In his own wonderfully laid-back way, he taught his family to do the same.Through all of the ordinary things that make up a life—adventures with his kids, time with his grandkids, projects and chess games, Patriots games, Eagles songs, afternoon naps, Bud Lights, Wordles, lottery tickets, and that unmistakable laugh—he made himself completely irreplaceable.Dan will be unbelievably missed, more than he could ever have known. His family plans to honor his legacy the way he would have wanted: by not taking life too seriously, enjoying every possible minute, and laughing as loudly and as often as they can with the people they love.

A celebration of Dan’s life will be held in January, details TBA.

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Daniel Gerald Armstrong

Sep 21, 1959 — Sep 15, 2026

Keller, Texas

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