Obituary of Jon Alexander Armbrust

Sergeant Jon Alexander "Alex" Armbrust, U S Army Retired, 34 of Roanoke passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 10, 2018 after a courageous nine year battle with brain cancer.  He was born on November 17, 1983 at Fort Ord, California

He is survived by his mother, Mary K. Withrow of Roanoke; father, Timothy M. Armbrust of Mesquite, Texas; step father, Ricky Cowden (Ginny Reed) of Roanoke; brothers, Joseph Fitzgerald of Roanoke, and Devin Lowdermilk of Augusta, GA; sisters, Lauren Armbrust of Roanoke and Jordan Fitzgerald of Charlotte; step sister, Monica (Ian) Brown of Converse, Texas; very special nephew, Jayden Fitzgerald;  a beautiful niece, Samantha Ott; and his dog, Treader, (the truest definition of loyalty and companionship)

Alex served in the U.S. Army and was stationed with the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and served with the 2/27th Wolfhounds in Iraq.  He was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained in combat.  He medically retired from the Army in 2011 and resided in San Antonio, Texas until June of 2017.  He returned home to be closer to his family during his transition.

The family would like to give special thanks to Carilion Hospice (Tiffany, Jewel, Clara, Kathy, and Seth), to Maxim Healthcare (Whitney and Cole) for the excellent care your nurses provided to Alex during the last stages of his illness (Stacy and Kim), to Sharon Stanley, Melinda Shelor-Rogers, and Dr. Chris Lentz with the Salem Veterans Medical Center, and to David Ragland for Baptizing Alex, and providing him the spiritual reassurance that he needed to bring the peace and comfort to his soul.  Lastly, a sincere thanks for the love, time, and support given to Alex by his close friends and family during his time here in Virginia.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be made to the Fisher House, St. Jude Children's Hospital, or to the American Cancer Society.

The family will receive friends from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, May 13, 2018 at Simpson Funeral Home 5160 Peters Creek Road.  A graveside service will be held at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Coldolences may be sent to  www.simpsonfuneral.com  Arrangements by Simpson Funeral Home.  366-0707