December 17, 1948 - May 26, 2024
From the early seventies until 2014 or so, if you lived within a 70- mile radius of Wayne County and wanted a portrait, prom or Homecoming pictures, or wedding photographs, you probably visited the home of Patricia "Tricia" Bennett Armstrong at Armstrong's Photography and sought the skills of a perky little photographer whose talent was only exceeded by her vim and vigor for life. It was her smile and boundless energy that drew you to that photographer, lovingly known as Tricia.
Inevitably, if you were having a portrait of your child made, you would be introduced to “creepy mousey", which was a little hand gesture she would do to imitate a creeping mouse, and was her way of getting the child's attention on the camera; inevitably producing some of the most wonderful expressions on an otherwise discontent child. If you were a bride, she had an innate ability to make that day even more special and to assure you that everything was going to be absolutely beautiful - her pictures proved that to be true.
Patricia "Tricia" Bennett Armstrongwas a Baptist and a 1966 graduate of Jesup High School, where she was a cheerleader and Homecoming Queen, and received her undergraduate degree from Georgia College at Milledgeville. She married Tony Armstrong and together, along with their children, Amy and Hugh, built one of the preeminent photography studios in southeast Georgia, at one time having studios on Sea Island, Georgia and Red River, New Mexico.
Tricia was very active in her community and was elected President of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and she, along with her sister, Judge Vi Bennett, and Dr. Claire Hicks, were the first women chosen as members of the Jesup Kiwanis Club. She also served on the initial Board of Directors for Wayne National Bank, which later became Truist.
Tricia was a member of the Professional Photographers Association of Georgia and she, along with her special photographer friend, Jacque Hardy, would travel all over the country taking and sometimes teaching seminars on photographic techniques.
She was always honored that her customers, who inevitably became her friends, chose her to preserve their precious memories.
As much as she loved and was loved by her customers, it was her family that was most blessed to experience that Pollyanna attitude and unconditional love on a daily basis and who now experience a hole in their hearts that can never be filled in this realm.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Neace and parents Honorable Stetson F. Bennett, Jr. and Patsy Jones Bennett.
She is survived by her daughter, Amy Mixon of Milledgeville, Georgia, son, Dr. Hugh (Carla) Armstrong, Jr.; sisters Honorable Frances (Bert) Bennett Yeargan and the Honorable Judge R. Violet “Vi” Bennett, all of Wayne County, Georgia, a special cousin, Glenna Payne Reeves of Decatur, Georgia, and grandchildren, Caroline Armstrong, Tripp Armstroing, Cate Armstrong, and Marleigh Mixon.
Celebration of Life services will be held 2:00 p.m., Thursday, May 30, 2024 from Rinehart and Sons Chapel in Jesup, GA with Dr. Felix Haynes officiating.
Private interment will follow in Stetson F. Bennett, Jr. Family Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be family and friends. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Georgia Professional Photographers Association.
Family will receive friends from 1:00-2:00 p.m. prior to services at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice in honor of Patricia Bennett Armstrong.