After battling heart disease, colon cancer, and a stroke, Glen’s body gave up the fight on August 20th. His loving wife, Diane, was at his side when he took his last breath. They had been married 54 years, and she will miss him so much. Also grieving are his son, Geoff (Melissa) and grandsons, Elijah and Miles, and his daughter, Meghan Schmidt (Michael). His sister Norma (Randy) Wakelam and their children Christian, Karen, and Kevin will remember the fun times they had with him in Edmonton. His sisters-in-law Lynda Buske (Chris Taylor) and Nancy Kerr-Wilson (Andy) and their sons, Alan and Ross, share fond memories of their times with Glen. Cousin Alan Bardsley (Kitty) will cherish time spent with him at the cottage in Muskoka. His four grandnieces and two grandnephews will hear tales of Uncle Glen from their parents.
He was predeceased by his parents, James and Bessie Armstrong, Aunt Pearl Stevens and brother, Douglas Stuart Armstrong.
Glen was born in Ottawa, Ontario and proud of his Ottawa Valley roots. He graduated from Nepean High School then went to Carleton University where he met Diane. They married in second year, and both graduated with an Honours B.Sc. in Biology in 1974. Glen was a “born” scientist and wished to do research. He obtained his M.Sc. at Carleton then they moved to Edmonton so he could pursue his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Alberta, graduating in 1980. During this time, his son, Geoff, was born. After a 3-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary, Glen returned to Edmonton as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and his daughter, Meghan, was born. He became an Associate Professor in 1990 and a full Professor in 1997. In 2003, he was appointed Head of the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary, a position he held for 10 years. He retired in 2018 and was appointed Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases in 2019.
Glen was interested in studying the role of complex sugars in the pathogenic strategies of bacteria that cause food-borne gastrointestinal infections. He published 89 articles in the international, peer-reviewed scientific literature and was an inventor on 38 US and international patents. His trainees (15 grad students and 5 post-docs) have positions in academia and the health care industry in Canada, the US, and Mexico. In 2012, along with 4 of his colleagues, he received the Brockhouse Canada Prize from the Governor-General, the Right Honourable David Johnston, for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering.
Glen fell in love with Victoria in 2002 and decided to retire there. In 2019, he and Diane moved from Calgary and joined Uplands Probus as a way of meeting other retirees. Glen loved their special events, golfing, and investment clubs. He also became president of the strata corporation of his townhouse complex. He loved pub lunches, cruising, and walks on the beach!
In lieu of flowers, a donation made to Cancer Research in Glen’s honour would be appreciated.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC on Saturday, February 13th, 2027 at 2:00pm.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Armstrong” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
14 Responses
I was saddened to hear of Professor Armstrongs passing. I knew Glen while he was at University Calgary: he was a terrific colleague and an excellent scientist.
With condolences to the family for their loss and at this time of sadness.
Our deepest condolences from us both to Diane and Family. He was a great mentor and always a positive light. I grew up under him as a faculty member in Calgary. I owe him a lot. Fond memories sharing the office floor. Door was always open.
Apart from a great scientist a great human being.
You will be missed Glen, but forever in our minds and heart.
Jim & I were very sad to hear about Glen’s Passing . We want to Express our Deepest Condolences and Prayers to
Diane & Family. We really enjoyed having Glen & Diane as our neighbors in Calgary .
Rest in Peace Glen
Jim & Fay Morrissey
Dear Diane, Meghan, Geoff and family. So sorry for the loss of Glen – a tremendous person, scientist, mentor and friend. I’m very lucky to have spent those years in his lab completing my PhD with him. Learned so much and also had many good laughs together.
It is so heartbreaking to have Glen gone from my life. Having only sisters, I was so lucky to have Glen as more of a brother than a brother-in-law. I met him when he started dating my sister Diane in the early 1970s and they took me into their university social circle for which I was very grateful. Despite his stellar career, he always put family first and welcomed me with open arms for my almost annual visits to Edmonton, Calgary and Victoria. He will be greatly missed.
Love Lynda
Dear Diane
I learned today of Glen’s death with tremendous sadness.
Glen was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of my move to the UofA from NRC in the early 1990s and as you know we subsequently became close colleagues and collaborators.
Our photo with the GG when receiving the NSERC Brockhouse medal hangs on my study wall as I write. Together and with colleagues we co-authored many papers, probably the career highlight for both of us was a Nature paper. He was a founding member of the Alberta Ingenity Carbohydrate Centre which has grown and morphed into a very significant Centre of Excellence for Carbohydrate Science.
We tried and failed to start a spin off company together and had numerous significant joint research grants.
Glen was always so positive and enthusiastic about his science and it was my tremendous good fortune to know him and enjoy our collaboration.
Please accept my sincere condolences.
Dave Bundle
Diane:
I was so sorry to hear of Glen’s passing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Don
Randy and I were heartbroken to learn of Glen‘s passing. We were so hopeful that he would be able to have a quality of life with the treatment he was getting.
Glen was my only sibling whom I’ve lost too soon. We had a loving upbringing from our parents and Auntie Pearl.
Growing up, I was intrigued to watch Glen invent things – a Tesla coil, and other electrical apparatus. Some of his inventions would go awry, and you’d think my parents would be annoyed at his sometimes misplaced creativity, but I think they always knew he would have a legacy as a scientist. We were all very proud of him!
We also enjoyed a close relationship with our extended family, my mother‘s cousin Irene Hannahson whom we called Auntie Irene, and her mom, Violet Francis, as well as Irene’s two children, Lynn and Alan. Each summer we spent two weeks of our vacation at Irene‘s cottage where we forged a close relationship with our cousins. We also travelled to Europe one year with this extended family, visiting British cousins of our parents.
Shortly after Glen married Diane, they moved to Edmonton where Randy and I were also fortunate to be posted. Together, we were able to visit often at their home in Mitchner Park (the student married accommodations) and to hike around Lake Louise. Needless to say, we were delighted to have a second posting to Edmonton, where we could renew our relationship and where our children – Christian, Karen, and Kevin – could get to know their cousins Geoffrey and Meghan.
Randy and I would like to send our deepest sympathies to our sister-in-law, Diane, and to our nephew and niece, Geoffrey and Meghan (and their spouses), and to our great nephews Elijah and Miles.
I always enjoyed visiting with Glen and Diane. He was always so upbeat, happy, and friendly.
To all the family,
We are so sorry to hear of Glen’s passing, and we will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. Sending big hugs across the miles.
Love, Brady, Kelli, Seth, and Chloe Hustad