"That Person Is A Success "Who has lived well, Laughed often and loved much; Who has gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of children; Who has filled their niche and accomplished their task; Who leaves the world better than they found it; Who has never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; Who looked for the best in others and gave the best they had" Allan, when I met your son I wondered where he got his passion and strength from, then I met you and it was clear. You have shown your family what love and friendship means but you have also shown them what courage and dignity means. Your last 9 weeks were so tough for you but you were always the gentleman, always smiled to the nurses (and only gave them stick occasionally). I was honoured and privileged the last time I saw you. Thank you so much for welcoming me into your family and your heart. You will never know the hole you have left but can be proud of the people left behind. "

"Glenys It was a shock to hear of Allan's passing. Thank you for phoning us to let us know and to allow us the opportunity to hear about Allan's life when we attended the service on Tuesday. You and Allan always spoke so lovingly about your children, their partners and your grandchildren, it was lovely to hear more stories and to hear them all speak so proudly and with neat memories about their father/grandfather. Our thoughts are with you and your family at this time. Michelle and Grant Beach "

"Someone wise once said: "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal Love leaves a memory no one can steal" Uncle Allan was such a lovely man. Thinking of you all at this sad time. Lots of love, Sarah, Alex, Madeleine and Finn Jorgensen"

"Address at Allan's funeral service today Allan Armstrong I suppose it is natural for a family to take for granted that they will depart this world in the same chronological order as they came into it. This has not happened with us and I guess I find that quite hard to accept. But can I say at the outset how immensely proud I am to be Allan’s brother. I am proud firstly because he was, like our father a very decent ethical man who always did the right thing by others. I am proud because he and Glenys created and nurtured the most wonderful and loving family that we see before us today. And I am proud because Allan’s wonderful character and traits have been recognised by all of his friends and colleagues and this is evidenced by the size of this gathering to celebrate his life. I have had the privilege of spending a lot of time with Allan these last few weeks. The time was all too short but this was compensated for by the intensity of the love that surrounded him. It poured in on him from everywhere and he accepted and reciprocated with grace although he was in much pain. It came of course from family, friends and workmates who loved him. Even the doctors and nurses realised they had someone special in their care and he was their favourite patient. Allan had faith and courage – the loneliest of virtues. His granddaughter Zoe summed it up in the most beautiful “Dear Grandad” letter she wrote to Allan on the 14th of March - a letter he treasured as the bad news kept tumbling in. It contained the following passage--- “You know God only gives us what we can handle. You are so strong and you have courage. Courage is not where you keep going when you have strength, it is where you keep going when you don’t have strength” The letter ended “I love you one million times around the world Zoe” Allan’s family’s faith enabled them to see the bigger picture of what was happening and to make his last weeks very inspirational for us all. I was privileged to observe the love and caring that went on. Ron and I, as Allan’s older brothers can claim to have known him longer than anyone else. I guess after us - Mum and Dad expected him to be a girl – but he wasn’t and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Allan and I slept in the same room through to about age 16. My side of the room and wardrobe were a shambles but he was relatively tidy as I recall it and even made his bed. We shared illnesses such as Scarlet Fever and Chicken Pox He was a lark and I was an owl but we had great fun. Pillow fights, long earnest talks about everything including girls. Allan got a paying job before I did which meant he had the gold for a car and good ties, shirts and things that I pillaged and borrowed at every opportunity. He accepted this with good humour but insisted, quite unreasonably in my view, that he at least had the first wear. He was a keen and very good sportsman – rugby and cricket, a great gardener, and mechanic from a young age. He was handsome and strong and had lots of friends. We all enjoyed wonderful holidays at Opoutere with our cousins. And we learnt from each other and were mates. He met Glenys at Selwyn College. He used to tell me how surprised he was that she, the great sporting hero of that school would deign to go out with him. There never was anyone else and she was the most loyal and loving partner to the end. What a wonderful person. The most important legacy anyone can leave by far is that of being a fine example and role model to their family. Allan has done this for us all. Allan --- Robyn myself and our two girls Sarah and Rachael have learnt from you, loved you and will miss you. You have been the most marvellous brother, brother in law and uncle We will always honour and remember you and be there for your family Rest in peace Douglas Armstrong Monday, 26 April 2010"

Glenys and family Although I've lost touch with you people I was shocked to hear the sad news. Our thoughts are with you all.

"Dear Tracy, Bevan, Aunty Glenys and family, I loved Uncle Allan because he had a fantastic cheeky sense of humour and a great smile - even at the end when he must have felt terrible he managed to still have a laugh. I have great memories of times we all had at Nana Armstrong’s house at Allum Street at Christmas and Easter with all the cousins and Aunts and Uncles – Uncle Allan used to tease us something rotten (in a good way) and poke fun at Dad and Ron much to our amusement – those were great times. When I went and visited him at the hospice I was amazed at the strength he showed and we had a lovely chat just him and me about how he was feeling and about gardening and Piha…. I was glad I got to tell him how much I loved him. What I have been present to in the last few weeks is how much love Uncle Allan had in his life and who he must have been in his everyday life to create this – Dad had endless stories of old friends visiting, beautiful notes, gestures and thoughts that you and everyone had said or written – it was nice to bear witness to this as it gave me comfort knowing that he got to experience how much everyone loved him before he went. I think he packed in many years worth of love in the last few weeks and that the connections in the Armstrong family have been strengthened in this experience. I love you Uncle Allan and you can count on me to help look after the Armstrong family Cos lettuce seeds (hopefully with a bit of help), and keep the Armstrong Family gatherings on track! Lots of love Rachael Armstrong (youngest daughter of Uncle Allan’s middle brother Douglas Keith)"

A special thank you Allan for your loving support afforded to me. Just because you are out of sight does not mean you are out of mind. I will continue to laugh at the jokes we shared together about ourselves and a variety of things. You have left a huge hole in the lives of many. My loving thoughts and prayers are with your devoted family. A gentle caring giant has left us - sleep well pal. Love Robyn A

"Glenys, so sorry to learn of Allan's death. My sincere sympathy to you and your family. Fond memories of our times together at Selwyn College. Regards Heather nee Matthews"

"To Glenys and Family My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time. One of my fondest memories of Allan was when I was doing my garden in Durbin Court (I lived across the road) and he was doing his garden edging and I was so impressed how clever he was and how quick he did it. We often has conversations in the middle of road about what we were going to plant and what would grow the best. Allan and Glenys were just wonderful with my children and I felt like my I had a dad living across the road. I will miss your warm smile and your energy will live on in your garden for all to see when they pass by. All my love Lisa, Paul, Sophie, Zoe (little) and Greer xxxxx"

"Allan was a close friend at Primary School even demonstrating at that time a sense of humour and one to accept challenges. Throughout his life he has met and dealt with challenges as they have arisen which has been an inspiration to us all. He will always hold a special place in our hearts for introducing us and giving us 40 years of married bliss. All our love to Glenys, Tracey, Bevan and families. Roger & Mollie Harrowell "

"Allan was a great friend to me and an inspiration to always look at the bright side of things and to always have a positive outlook. I will forever remember him as a person that uplifted everyone around him by being an example of a heathly, positive and vibrant person that embraced the quality things in life like family, religion and integrity. RIP my friend. Your example meant a great deal to me."

"We felt such huge sadness when we received the news that Allan had passed away. Even though it has been a long time since we saw Allan, he and Glenys are a large part of our younger pre-children days with Tracey and Carey. I'll always remember Allan at the Glenfield house pottering in the garden or at their old bach at Piha hunkering down to watch the cricket with the boys! He and Glenys made us so welcome and to feel part of the family. He was a lovely, caring, gentle man who loved his family dearly and we send you all our love and thoughts. Kerri and Shane Hartley "

"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Allan during my short time at ASB. He was hugely personable, had a wonderful easy way with him and yet was tenacious in seeking information he needed to do his job. I will miss his unfailing sense of humour. What a great guy! Condolences to all family, friends and colleagues. Stuart"

"Dad, How do we start. What a loss. You have left a huge gap in our hearts and lives that we can't imagine ever being able to fill. Zoe & Jackson have been so blessed to have had you as their Grandad and will so terribly miss your devotion. Not only have you been incredibly courageous over the last 9 weeks but you have also been more courageous than most throughout your life. It has become clear to us over the years how selfless you really are, how much you sacrifice to make others happy and how hard you have worked to support your family and those around you. You can leave this world with so much pride, knowing that we will remember you always, pay tribute to you always and smile when we think of your smile. All our love, your daughter and son-in-law Tracey & Carey"