Saturday, May 3, 2008

Ronald D. Armstrong, 60, who helped oversee federal drug- free workplace programs for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, died April 18 at Suburban Hospital. He had complications from heart surgery two days earlier.

Since 1992, Mr. Armstrong had been SAMHSA's policy oversight leader for the Federal Agency Drug-Free Workplace Program. The program affects millions of federal employees.

From 2000 to 2007, he was steward in the SAMHSA chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union. He also served on SAMHSA's building committee, which guided recent construction of a new headquarters in Rockville.

For his building committee work, he received the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ronald Dennis Armstrong, a Rockville resident, was born in Crookston, Minn., and raised in Thief River Falls, Minn. He graduated from Minnesota State University at Moorhead with a degree in English in 1969.

He began his federal career in 1970 as an investigative aide for the Civil Service Commission in Chicago before moving to the Washington area the next year. Mr. Armstrong later did personnel work for the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration. In 1984, he became chief of the personnel operations branch of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, a SAMHSA forerunner.

He traveled to Europe, Asia and Australia with his wife and enjoyed trying new cuisines, playing poker and telling Scandinavian-Minnesotan jokes.

Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Jan Bobinger Armstrong of Rockville; a sister; and a brother.

-- Adam Bernstein