Michael Wallace Armstrong, born August 25th, 1938 in Los Angeles, passed away on April 20th, 2018 in Arcata. As a young man he served in the Navy before returning to southern California, where he married and raised a family who lovingly survive him. In 1976 they came north, first to Ferndale then Fortuna. He would later move to Arcata with his beloved partner Ananda.

Businessman, champion trap shooter, husband, friend, father. Mike was all of these things. What set him apart was his involvement with people from all walks of life, his patient understanding and his concern for their wellbeing. His true calling was helping others and being a mentor to others. There is not sufficient space in this obituary to list all the lives he touched, the people he affected, the work he did.

Mike was a member and sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous for fifty-eight years. His engagement with AA began as a small boy when his mother founded one of the first meetings on the West Coast. After discovering he too had the disease, Mike got sober at the age of twenty-one and spent the rest of his life encouraging others to acknowledge their addiction, make peace with it and live fulfilling lives. His life embodied the principals of the program. Anyone who walked into an AA meeting with Mike present can attest to his love for the other members and the great respect and regard they had for him.

In addition to AA, he was a Fortuna Deputy Constable and participated in many organizations: Chambers of Commerce, Rotary, Humboldt Builders Exchange, Pacific International Trap Association, Humboldt Mediation Services, was one of the founders of the Center for Attitudinal Healing, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Course of Miracles, HART program volunteer, Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir, North Coast Men’s Gatherings, AA outreach at Pelican Bay prison and served on committees and board of the Northern Redwood Federal Credit Union until just a few months before his passing.

Michael had the biggest of hearts, and while he willingly shared it with others, his own would eventually fail. He had long known the end was near, and the poignancy of his passing mirrored the beauty of his life. For a week his home was filled with friends and family who came to honor him and say “Goodbye”. Present were Ananda, her son Cyrus, Michael’s daughter Melanie, her partner Julian, and his granddaughters Jasmine and Isobel. Special thanks and gratitude, to the many other friends and neighbors, who went above and beyond, along with staff of Hospice of Humboldt, to help him complete this last adventure as he liked to say. And as he said in his will “any donations should be directed to the benefit of the living”.

A loving and joyful celebration of his life and his memory is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at 4 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church at 11th and G streets in Arcata. Light refreshments and snacks are encouraged but not required for a brief reception afterwards.