Highlighter-Spring-2015

Dedi ca t i on La i d a St rong Toda y’s Pond & Compa n y in the car he drove. He loved sports cars, especially Mercedes, Jaguar and Miata convertibles. Greg recalls that Pat and his wife Jean had several garages in their homes over the years that served to showcases his sports cars. John also remembers Pat’s love of sports cars, especially a green Mercedes convertible. “He was not a small man - he was about 6’4” and my wife said it was amusing watching him unfold out of that car.” “He had three loves—family, work and cars,” says Greg. “He was a true workaholic. He put his whole body into his company. But if he didn’t do what he did, this company wouldn’t be the company it is today.” Pat retired in 1991; however, retirement didn’t keep him out of engineering entirely. He remained active in the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (GSPE), of which he served as President. He also served on the Georgia State Board for Engineers and Land Surveyors for eight years, as well as the Board of the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE), where he participated in development of the questions on engineering exams. He was active in his community and church. He helped develop a program in DeKalb County to encourage kids to study math and engineering, and he donated his engineering expertise for various building projects. For many years he drove a bus for the senior citizens at his church, the First Baptist Church of Avondale, where he also sang in the choir. He was close to his family, particularly in the later years. He had two sons and one daughter, and Greg’s favorite memory is of seeing them hang out on the back deck drinking martinis, talking and laughing. Pat stayed in touch with Al after retirement, occasionally meeting him for lunch. Al recalls Pat visiting the office in 2007. As he walked around and saw how much it had changed since he left, there was a twinkle in his eye. Greg says, “He was in awe of what Al did with the company during and after his time at the firm. He knew when Pond was added to the company name that it was a ‘complete package’.” John has been with the firm long enough to see the growth and changes that Pat set in motion. The firm expanded into civil engineering, and later mechanical and electrical, because they knew that was where it needed to go to become a full service firm. They also started focusing more on the government market. When John joined the firm, there were 15 to 20 people, primarily structural and civil engineers. The biggest difference John sees now is the increased use of technology. An early goal of the firm was to put a computer on everyone’s desk. Pat was one of the first to have his own PC. He retained his lifelong love of technology. Even after retirement, he stayed up on the latest gadgets. The preacher at their church said that Pat and Jean were the first people he saw with an iPad. Even in his 80s and retired, he still ran AutoCad Lite on his iPad, just for fun and to double check on the various building projects he was involved in at his church. “He made sure the contractors were doing a good job,” says Greg. Pat is buried in historic Oakland Cemetery, where he and Jean, his surviving spouse, have adjacent plots. He loved studying Civil War History and grew up in the Decatur/ Avondale Estates area. Not everyone would describe their grandparents as “very cool people” but Greg does, and he is inspired by his memories of Pat’s hard work to make this company great. n 1951 1975 1965 1981 1966 1985 1998 1970 1991 2014 Pat graduated from Georgia Tech Pat founded Armour & Associates Pat hired Jim Cape Firm renamed Armour & Cape Al Pond joined firm John Fumbanks joined firm Firm renamed Armour Cape & Pond Pat retired, founded STEAM Program for DeKalb County Firm renamed Pond & Company Pat Armour passed away at age 85 T i m e l i n e He was a true workaholic. He put his whole body into his company. But if he didn’t do what he did this company wouldn’t be the company it is today. “ “ Susan Johnson - Marketing Coordinator

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