Nydia Armstrong Camillo, age 80, passed away on February 20, 2021.
She was the daughter of the late Birma Jean Sparks Armstrong and the late James Thomas Armstrong.
She is survived by a daughter, Stacey Camillo, of California, as well as a son, Ray Camillo, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren who live in Georgia.
Nydia was born in West Union, Ohio, grew up in Indianapolis and attended college in Boston, Massachusetts.
Her late husband’s job as a computer executive with IBM allowed them to live in Washington, DC, plus five different states including Hawaii, as well as Bonn, West Germany. The majority of her work years were spent with the Swedish company Saab-Scania as Executive Assistant to the CEO of their commuter aircraft sales division located in Sterling, VA. After moving to this area in 2001, she was employed for a few years by Cherokee Medical Center as Executive Assistant to several different CEOs.
In 1902, her maternal grandfather, John Howard Sparks, drove his expectant wife and 4 year-old son, Robert Salathiel Sparks, via horse-drawn wagon from south-western Ohio to Birmingham. His plan was to join his brother, Oliver Sparks, in the carriage trade; however, the brothers had a falling out and the family returned to Peebles, Ohio where he started his own livery business. Nydia’s mother was born that same year in Birmingham in a covered wagon prior to their departure.
Per her request, there will be no local service.
An oceanside memorial will be held in California at a later date. Ms. Camillo was a student of the Christian Science religion (not to be confused with Scientology!).
