Richard LaMar Armstrong

Richard LaMar Armstrong 94 of Pocatello ‘croaked’ in the early hours of Sunday morning June 1st, 2025. “We can all go to Disneyland now!” That line was from one of his favorite jokes: “Grandpa, Grandpa, make a noise like a frog!... Dad says, when you ‘croak’, we are all going to Disneyland!!” He always enjoyed a good joke and a bad one or two or ten...?

LaMar is a lifelong businessman and resident of Pocatello. Married to Lea Joy McKinlay for 48 years, raising 7 kids; Wayne, Kelie, Rick, Robin, K.C., Martin and Russell. They have 17 grandkids with 61 great grandkids and nine great great grandkids. LaMar was born in Downey, Idaho on June 9th, 1930, to Richard Quintus Armstrong and Elaine Content Anderson, and was raised in Robin, Idaho. He was the oldest of 4: sisters, Connie, Eileen and little brother Terry.

A Pocatello High School graduate who enjoyed playing basketball and working on cars. He also attended Idaho State Technical School in auto body repair while driving truck for Garrett Freightlines from 1946 to 1951. He was hired as “The Painter” at Bannock Motors Pontiac from 1952 to 1955.

LaMar and his friend Orris Eyler opened A&E Body Repair in 1955 to great success, expanding to include towing in later years. Towing and recovery took him hundreds of miles away for special and often complex recovery efforts with the ambition to build the business.

1970 comes along and ... ”Hey! How about let’s start farming as well?!” LaMar bought a few 100 acres of more trouble, just for fun out in Chubbuck. So now … all us ‘city folk’ tin benders are sod busters and turd kickers too.

Then, 1979 brought some Montana door knockers to The Shop building and suddenly we’re out of the body and fender business, after an extensive remodel and calling the place The Corner Pocket (later renamed The Pocket)… we’re now shooting pool instead of hammering tin. Wayne helped run things and in 1996 LaMar sold The Pocket to Wayne.

But wait there's more… back in 1973, LaMar said, “Let's try selling real estate”… and while we're at it… “Let's save some old houses from the wrecking ball”… by moving them from downtown Poky to West Chubbuck Rd… ”No Problem!” Hundreds of feet of water line trenches dug by hand… “Of Course!” Dig and pour foundations, build garage/shop (twice! wind blew it down 1st time)… “Sure Thing!” New roofs, burn ditches, move that haystack over 2 feet… ”Absolutely!” Cows, pigs, horses, garden, hay, irrigate, wheat harvest… “You Bet!” Plow, plant, spray weeds, pruning… ”Yes Sir, Will Do!”…… Let’s just say, he was busy and so were we.

We still have fields to plow, trenches to dig, houses to save and cars to paint and we are not sure we can manage it all without him.

Oh, and by the way LaMar, this obituary will be the final one added to the top of your 75-year collection (he saved the obituaries of people important to him). We hope you like this one.

LaMar was preceded in death by his Parents, son Wayne, son Robin, sister Eileen and his wife Lea Joy.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 7, 2025 at Wilks Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S 4th Ave, Pocatello, ID. A viewing will be held prior beginning at 10:00 am. Burial will follow the service at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, 2864 S 5th Avenue, Pocatello, ID.

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