Neil Armstrong: Cincy Resident, Purdue Grad

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 Commander, inside the Lunar Module as it rests on the lunar surface after completion of his historic moonwalk.

NASA

(Cincinnati, Oh.) – Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever gaze upon our planet while standing on the surface of the moon, is being remembered as a down to earth Cincinnati resident.

Armstrong died Saturday, August 25 at the age of 82. He died from complications of cardiovascular surgery, his family said.

On July 20, 1969, he became the first person to walk on the moon as commander of Apollo 11.

“While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves,” a family statement from NASA read.

Born in Wapakoneta in west central Ohio, Armstrong lived much of his life after the historic moonwalk in Cincinnati. He was a resident of the Indian Hill neighborhood.

Armstrong’s love affair with science and aeronautics was lifelong. He gave many presentations at the University of Cincinnati, where he became a professor in 1971. Armstrong chose the Cincinnati Museum Center to receive a moon rock and his spacesuit from the historic Apollo 11 mission.

The museum announced Sunday it would be offering free admission through Labor Day to honor Armstrong.

Armstrong’s college alma mater, Purdue University, is flying flags at half staff to recognize his passing. He graduated from Purdue with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. Armstrong received an honorary doctorate from Purdue in 1970 and donated his papers to the university in 2008.

A memorial service will be held in West Lafayette on Monday. The service will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Neil Armstrong statue located in front of the Neil A. Armstrong Hall of Engineering on the Purdue campus.

Armstrong’s family had a simple request for those looking to pay tribute to him.

“Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, 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.”