Mary Elizabeth Armstrong
Mary Elizabeth Armstrong of Ann Arbor, Michigan, passed away at home after a brief illness with cancer.
Mary was born in Detroit, Michigan, in January 1948 to June Constance and Abram Payne Snyder. She was the second of six children, and her family lived in Riley Center, Reed City, Ionia, and Marquette. All her life, she cherished her memories of time spent on Lake Superior, swimming in the icy lake water and learning to figure skate. In 1964, her father’s work for the Ford Foundation took the family to Lahore, Pakistan. While there, Mary attended and completed high school at the American International School in New Delhi, India. She returned to the United States for college where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in English literature at the University of Michigan. During college, Mary’s parents introduced her to an engineering student named Thomas Armstrong. The couple wed in 1970 and would make Ann Arbor their home for fifty-six years of marriage.
After college, Mary worked for the South and Southeast Asian Studies program at U-M until the birth of her son, David. David was soon joined by sisters Kate and Betsey, and Mary devoted her energy to creating a loving home for her family. In addition to closely following her children’s school, music, and sporting events, she enjoyed neighborhood book and coffee groups and exploring a wide range of arts, lectures, and other cultural offerings in Ann Arbor. Mary pursued her love of music and movement and developed lasting friendships through classes at the Community School of Ballet and became a devoted member of the Huron Hills Golf League. A favorite ritual was taking long walks with Tom after spending the morning together reading the newspaper over coffee. She had a special love for the New Yorker and eagerly awaited each issue. Mary’s time overseas at a young age left her with a lifelong love of learning, which she pursued through travel, reading widely, and an open-hearted interest in everyone she encountered. Her family will remember her generous spirit and boundless curiosity about the world.
Mary is survived by her husband, Tom, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; her son, David Armstrong, and his wife, Shannon Delahaye, of Menlo Park, California; her daughter, Kate Armstrong, and her husband, Andres Tellez, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; her daughter, Betsey Armstrong, and her husband, Chris Vidale, of Rhinebeck, New York; her grandchildren William and Joanna Tellez, Frankie and Max Vidale, and Maggie, Teddy, and Beatrice Armstrong; and her siblings, Bob Snyder and his wife, Sally, her brother-in-law, Burt Wiand, Martha Snyder Taggart, Pat Johnson, and John Snyder, and his wife, Chrissy. She was predeceased by her sister Sally Wiand.
A memorial service for Mary will be held at 10 a.m. on June 27, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, 1432 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made in Mary’s memory to the Nichols Arboretum W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden Fund or the Margaret Waterman Alumnae Group Endowed Scholarship Fund.