
West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Tim Armstead
CHARLESTON – West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Tim Armstead has died.
He passed away shortly before noon August 26 at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown following a brief hospitalization. He was 60 and had been battling cancer.
Armstead was appointed to the state Supreme Court on September 25, 2018, by former Gov. Jim Justice. He then was elected two months later to retain the seat until the end of that term in 2020. He was re-elected that year to another 12-year term.
He served as Chief Justice in 2020 through the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2024.
Armstead previously was Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates starting in 2015. Before that, he was the House minority leader starting in 2006, and he was first elected to the House in 1998.
He was part of a House group known as the Four Horsemen, a quartet of Republican delegates from Kanawha County delegates that fought for smaller limited government, lower taxes and strong ethics.
Charleston attorney Rusty Webb also was one of the Horsemen and a longtime friend of Armstead.
“Tim was so well respected by everyone,” Webb told The Record. “He was a beacon of integrity and honest, and he was a man of faith. He was incredibly optimistic and saw the good in everyone.
“He also was a great public servant. He served with honor and pride in all three branches of government — executive, legislative and judicial. Few people can say that.”
West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin served with Armstead in the House.
“West Virginia has lost a dedicated public servant with the passing of Justice Tim Armstead,” Pushkin, who still serves in the House, said. “Justice Armstead previously served our state as a member of the House of Delegates, where he made history as the first Republican Speaker of the House in 83 years.
“I had the honor of serving under Speaker Armstead in the minority party. He was a man of deep faith, strong convictions, and quiet dignity. As Speaker, he worked hard to foster an environment of collegiality and respect. He viewed public service as a high honor, and his example reflected that commitment.
“Justice Armstead admired President Theodore Roosevelt, who once said, ‘The best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’ That sentiment captures how Tim Armstead approached his service to the people of West Virginia.”
Current House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) said the state lost a “very special person,” and he lost a “wonderful friend.”
“Justice Tim Armstead was the very embodiment of the word gentleman,” Hanshaw said. “He was kind, thoughtful, smart, encouraging and deeply committed to his family, his faith and his state. He accomplished more than one lifetime’s worth in his short time here.
“He was a legislator, Speaker of the House and a Supreme Court Justice, but much more than that, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Tim Armstead was my friend, my mentor and a trusted confident. I will miss him deeply.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey called Armstead “an incredible trailblazer” who left the world “far too early.”
“I’ve known Tim for a long time and know how much he loved our state,” Morrisey said. “He was a good and decent man who always tried to set the right ethical tone in all of his actions. His dedication to the rule of law and our state’s heritage was felt in all of his opinions and decisions, and his legacy will be remembered for a long time.”
Armstead’s fellow justices spoke of their colleague.
“Tim Armstead is a sterling example of the best of West Virginia,” Chief Justice Bill Wooton said. “In an all-to-short life his public service accomplishments are legendary. … His abilities, talents and character were recognized by his colleagues, his neighbors and his fellow West Virginians. Tim was elected to the House of Delegates 10 different times and was twice elected statewide to the Supreme Court of Appeals. Throughout a lengthy period of public service, Tim Armstead never lost an election.
“His public service accomplishments pale in comparison in other areas of his life. He was a natural leader, who always led by example. Tim was thoughtful, highly intelligent, an extremely hard worker, and in every decision was guided by Christian principles. Without his ever saying anything, each of his Supreme Court colleagues looked to Tim’s example on thorny ethical issues. Likewise, his knowledge of state finances has been an invaluable resource to the West Virginia judicial system.”
Wooton said Armstead was a “marvelous husband, father, grandfather, brother, neighbor and colleague.”
“And he was the nicest, most down-to-earth, unassuming person you could ever hope to meet,” Wooton said. “Everyone who knew Tim Armstead considered him a friend.”
Justice C. Haley Bunn agreed.
“Tim lived a life marked by integrity, servant leadership and unwavering faith, and his service on the court reflected those values,” Bunn said. “He was appointed at a pivotal moment in the court’s history and dedicated himself to restoring the public’s confidence in the judiciary and treating every person with dignity and grace.
“He viewed his role as a justice not as a position of power, but as a sacred responsibility to serve others. His legacy of faithful public service will endure for generations. We grieve this profound loss of our colleague and friend, but we also give thanks for a life so well-lived.”
Justice Charles Trump spoke of Armstead’s legacy of public service.
“As Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates and as Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Tim Armstead’s work reflected his great integrity and love for West Virginia and her people,” Trump said. “His leadership will be sorely missed here at the Court. Our condolences and prayers remain with his family.”
Newly appointed Justice Tom Ewing agreed.
“As a recent addition to the Court, I was looking forward to working with Justice Armstead,” Ewing said. “In my limited interactions with him, I found him to be kind and a true gentleman. He was a man of faith, conviction and integrity and the embodiment of public service.”
Armstead began his public service career as a press intern for former Gov. Arch Moore and later worked as executive assistant to the chief of staff for Gov. Cecil Underwood. He also previously served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge David A. Faber.
He served on the Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Families during the Underwood administration and on the Board of the Elk River Community Council. He was a member of the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit. He also was a Knight of the Golden Horseshoe.
Born Feb. 26, 1965, in Charleston, Armstead was a graduate of Braxton County High School, the University of Charleston and West Virginia University College of Law. He was a Knight of the Golden Horseshoe and a Judith A. Herdon Fellowship intern with the West Virginia Legislature.
Armstead is survived by his wife, Anna, their daughter, Katie and her husband Aaron Ferrari, a grandson and granddaughter.