Private Funeral for Neil Armstrong Scheduled for Friday

Over the weekend, the world learned of the death of Neil Armstrong. Clearly the greatest hero in American history, Armstrong was a NASA Astronaut, Test Pilot, Engineer and the first man to set foot on the moon. On Friday of this week, the family has announced that Neil Armstrong will be laid to rest during a private family funeral.

According to NASA, the quiet funeral for Armstrong will take place near his Cincinnati Ohio home. Armstrong reportedly died Saturday of complications following heart surgery. President Obama has ordered flags across the nation to fly at half-staff on Friday to honor Armstrong’s memory.

ABC news reported that the Armstrong Air & Space Museum, located in his birth place of Wapakoneta, Ohio, plans a tribute Wednesday night. It was also reported that Purdue University, where Armstrong studied engineering, announced a late-afternoon on Monday.

While there has not been any official word of a national memorial service, the topic has been discussed. Armstrong was a very private and modest individual according to all who knew him. His family has described Armstrong as “a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job.”

In today’s world of reality television fame seekers and overpaid boastful celebrities and athletes, we could all learn a lot from the world’s most famous person, who never tried to cash in on his fame. While some astronauts did, Armstrong never sought or accepted any celebrity endorsements, wrote books, or sought the spotlight. Humble, Armstrong was quick to point out the hundreds of thousands of people who put him and his crew on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.

Armstrong’s family, pointing to how Neil lived his life, has asked people to dispense with words. “Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty,” they said in their statement announcing his death, “and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”