Flags have been lowered at Okanagan College campuses in memory of Charles Armstrong, an Honorary Fellow of the College (bestowed in 2009) who passed away recently.
Armstrong leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy and community involvement in the South Okanagan and beyond. He served on a number of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and held the position of President of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan, Director of the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan, Chair of the Penticton Economic Development Bureau and Director of the Interior Health Authority Board. In 2002, Armstrong was awarded the Queens’ Commemorative Medal for Service to the Community and the Canadian Crown and in 2007 was recognized with the BC Health Association Legacy Award for his work on board governance.
Together with his wife Irene, Charles Armstrong’s dedication to bettering the lives of students at Okanagan College could be seen in various ways – including generous support for the Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence campaign and the establishment of the Charles and Irene Armstrong Bursary in 2017 through the OC Foundation. This endowment fund supports students enrolled in the Health Care Assistant or Practical Nursing program at the Penticton campus. Since its inception, the fund has helped put much-needed support in the hands of four students.
Armstrong also worked with the OC Foundation and the family of John Howard Spicer to help establish the John and Irene Spicer Civil Engineering Award. The award supports students going into the 2nd year of their Civil Engineering program at the College and has supported 17 students since 2005.
“On behalf of the Okanagan College community, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Charles’ family, along with our gratitude and appreciation for his longstanding and far-reaching efforts as a passionate champion of education in the region,” said Okanagan College President Dr. Neil Fassina. “While I did not have the privilege of meeting Charles, his record of community service and support speaks to the way in which he exemplified what it means to be an honorary fellow of the College.”