Joanne L. Armstrong

Joanne Lucille Leslie Armstrong, 77, passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at her residence in Staunton.

She was born on November 9, 1948, in Staunton, at Kings Daughters Hospital to the late William “Bill” or “Virginia Colonel” Lewis, Sr. and Evelyn Alice Hudlow Leslie.

Joanne was a member of McKinley United Methodist Church in Middlebrook.

She attended school in Staunton and later earned her GED. Believing strongly in continuing her education, Joanne went on to take classes at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, earning college credits from both institutions.

Throughout her life, Joanne was a trailblazer for women in public safety, emergency services, and traditionally male-dominated professions. She was the first woman approved for membership in the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, where she served for five years. She was trained as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), in Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC), and in Advanced First Aid, and served as a member of the Basic Light-Duty Rescue Team. She also had the distinction of being the first woman to drive the squad’s new Unit #50 in a Staunton parade around Gypsy Hill Park.

Joanne continued breaking barriers when she became the first woman to serve with the police reserve. On December 15, 1983, she graduated with the 40th Basic Law Enforcement Class of the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Training Center in Waynesboro.

In 1982, Joanne began working at the Staunton Correctional Center on Greenville Avenue, where she became the first woman to serve as a member of the institution’s Riot Squad. She later worked at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in Staunton, serving as Head of Watchman Officers and again becoming the first woman to hold that position.

In 1988, Joanne began what would become a long and distinguished career at Western State Hospital in Staunton. She was the first woman hired in the hospital’s Security Department and later moved into Risk Management, where she served as an Institutional Safety Officer III. She ultimately retired with thirty-two years of service through the Virginia Retirement System. Joanne was proud to have been among the pioneering women of her generation who stepped into roles once held almost exclusively by men and helped pave the way for the women who followed.

Her commitment to public service extended well beyond her professional career. Joanne was an active member of the Walkers Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Rockbridge County, where she was certified as a First Responder and EVOC ambulance driver. She was elected secretary for several years and served on numerous department committees. She also volunteered as a substitute with the Fairfield Rescue Squad.

For Joanne, service was more than a career, it was an important part of who she was. Whether responding to an emergency, serving her community, or simply helping someone who needed a hand, she possessed a compassionate spirit and a genuine desire to care for others. Her courage, determination, and willingness to step into roles where few women had gone before were hallmarks of her life.

Away from her service to others, Joanne was an avid NASCAR fan. She especially enjoyed cheering for the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr., #3, famously known as “The Intimidator,” and later continued that enthusiasm as a supporter of his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Joanne will remain steadfastly in the hearts and memories of all those whose lives she touched along the way. She will be remembered not only for the barriers she broke, but for the compassion, courage, community service, and steadfast willingness to help others that defined her life.

Including Joanne’s children from her previous marriage, she is survived by her son, Troy Louis Armstrong of Staunton; her daughter, Marcia Lynn Armstrong and her partner, Ernie Smith of Staunton; her fiancé, Harry E. Tweedy of Staunton; and her loyal companion, her dog, “Buddy”.

Her surviving grandchildren include Troy L. Armstrong, II of Staunton, Katherine Williams and her husband, Wayne, Stephanie Armstrong Brown of Staunton; and her great-grandchildren, Kristen and Thomas Williams, Harmony Brown and Lyric Brown of Fairfield, Jameson and Piper Simmons, and William “Gunner” Hughes.

She is also survived by her special friends, Kenneth Monty Fix of Walkers Creek and the late Rodney Sensabaugh of Walkers Creek; her lifelong friends, Carol Smith Doyle, Shelia Fridley Massie, Linda Bell Hoy Callison, Judy Hoy Collins, and Kim Fauber Sensabaugh; and her uncles, William “Billy” Hudlow of Lyndhurst and Robert “Bobby” Hudlow of South Carolina.

She is preceded in death by her beloved brothers, Steven Dale Leslie and William Lewis Leslie, Jr.; her sister, Sharon Byrd and her husband, Wayne; her stepsisters, Wanda Fleshman and Pamela Roadcap: her stepbrother, Michael Moran, and her nephew, David Wayne “D.W.” Byrd, Jr.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Henry Funeral Home in Staunton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Augusta Regional SPCA (P.O. Box 2014, Staunton, VA 24402) or the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad (1601 North Coalter Street, Staunton, VA 24401).

Henry Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.