William Clinton Armstrong III, a Malibu resident for 68 years, died on Friday, Nov. 23, surrounded by his family—seven weeks before his 104th birthday.
Bill and his wife, Virginia, founded the Carden School (now known as Under the Oaks Preschool), located up Las Flores Canyon, in 1965. Their granddaughter, Sunshine Armstrong Silverston, now runs the preschool. Bill was a 30-year space communications controller for Hughes Aircraft; he retired as administrative controller for the Hughes Malibu division in 1980.
As member of the National Pierce Arrow Society since 1960 and cofounder of the Southern California Pierce Arrow chapter, a family member said he enjoyed taking the family on their annual cross country tours.
“Malibu will long remember Bill driving his 1918 Pierce Arrow in our annual Independence Day parade,” the family shared.
Since 1950, he lived with his family in Latigo Cove and enjoyed everything the Malibu lifestyle afforded, including sailing, swimming, skin diving and riding the family’s horses on the beach. According to the Armstrong family, Bill remained bright and active until the end, and was seen raking the kelp off his beach daily, up until the age of 102. With his daughter Lea’s father-in-law, Harvey Anderson, a LA County fire battalion chief, Bill always remained in the cove to fight for his home through the many fires he lived through. Though he was not able to help during the Woolsey Fire, his family shared, “he was comforted that he had passed on the benefits of his years of experience” to his son, daughters and grandchildren.
All of them remained in Malibu to save their homes from the fire in November.
Bill lived a long, healthy, productive, full life, and contributed greatly to his family and his community, and his family said he will be sorely missed by all.
He was father to three children—Alan Armstrong, Lea Anderson, and Lani Netter—and grandfather to six grandchildren—Sunshine and Brian Armstrong, Ryan and Tor Anderson, and Grace and Jake Netter. He also had seven great-grandchildren: Victoria Silverston and Ben, Joe, Sam, Rachel, Joshua and Megan Anderson.
A memorial service will be held at the Malibu Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, at 11 a.m. A luncheon will follow; RSVP is required to malibuseaside@me.com.