William B. Armbruster
1953-2013

William B. Armbruster, 59, St. Joseph, Missouri died Monday, August 26, 2013 at Heartland Regional Medical Center.

He was born October 10, 1953 to Donald and Margaret (Blough) Armbruster.

William married Lisa Logan on July 4, 1986. She survives of the home.

He spent three years in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa from 1977-1980, where he taught physics in French to African students. He then worked for USIA (US Information Agency) from 1986-1999. He had a variety of different jobs while working as a Foreign Service Officer for the United States Department of State from 1999-2008 until retirement. While he was with the State Department he earned a Superior Honor award for meritorious conduct during Desert Storm and multiple Meritorious Service Awards.

His family lived in several places while he worked for the State Department: Algiers, Algeria; Tunis, Tunisia; London, England; Casablanca, Morocco; Washington, DC, where he was an Earth Day escort for Hollywood actress Bo Derek; and Kuwait City, Kuwait and Baghdad, Iraq, where he spent five months as a detainee of Saddam Hussein when his daughter, Jadis, was eight months old.

He spoke at the Runcie Club and was a featured speaker at Missouri Western State University Eggs and Issues on “The Middle East-Then and Now”. He was a board member of the St. Joseph Museums and on the board of directors at St. Joseph Symphony and President of the Friends of the St. Joseph Symphony.

William enjoyed gardening and helped with the landscaping and restoration at the Wyeth Tootle Mansion.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Additional Survivors: daughter, Jadis Armbruster, New York City, New York; son, Thane Armbruster, Rochester, New York, who were his pride and joy; brother, Donald Carl Armbruster, Jr. (Ann), Orange County, California; sister, Teri A Hansen (Steve Wilberding), Sarasota, Florida; and niece, Crystal L. Hansen, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Services: 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, First Presbyterian Church. Interment Mount Mora Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Monday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. The family requests no fresh flowers, and memorial contributions may be made to the St. Joseph Symphony or St. Joseph Mueseum. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.