Tony Armstrong - Class of 1964

Tony Armstrong was born on September 3, 1945 to Jack and Jane Armstrong. When he was four, his family moved to Sparks. As a child he attended Robert Mitchell Elementary, Sparks Middle School, then went on to Sparks High School.

He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard and soon after he graduated in 1964, he was called to active duty. He was in the Nevada National Guard for five years and held two Associate degrees from Western Nevada Community College. Later he joined Washoe County as a building inspector and was eventually promoted to Chief Deputy Inspector. During the seventies he also worked as a carpenter at Wittenberg Hall, a juvenile detention facility. On December 3, 1983, he married Debby Rimbey, his wife for twenty-two years. Two years later he opened a general contracting business, which later became Armstrong Inspection Services. In 1987, he decided to run for Sparks City Council, Ward 3 seat. Although unsuccessful, the next time he was elected to serve in Ward 3 and was re-elected twice after that. He was elected Sparks Mayor in 1999 and was re-elected in 2002. In his fourteen years of serving Sparks, he oversaw the development of Victorian Square, the Sparks Marina, and the growth of Sparks to more than 80,000 residents.

He received the “Raymond I. Smith Civic Leader of the Year” in 2005. One day later, on January 29th, he passed away from complications due to surgery.

Inducted 2005