Armas Niemela, passed peacefully into the arms of JESUS on Sunday, October 16, 2022, after a long battle with numerous health issues. He was born in Peterborough, NH on November 26, 1942, the next-to-the-youngest son of John Richard Niemela and Lempi Korpi Niemela who had ten beautiful children: seven boys and three girls. He married his wife, Sheila Hastings of North Hinsdale, NH on October 23, 1965 in Hinsdale NH; lived and worked in Keene, NH until moving with his family to FL in 1972.
Armand “temporarily” leaves behind Sheila Hastings Niemela, his wife of 57 years, his daughter Kelli Kennedy and her husband Dr. Ed Kennedy of Orlando, FL; his sister Lorna Letourneau of Dublin, NH; his sister Linda Saville of Houston, Texas, and his brother Alvah Niemela of Rindge, NH; two sisters-in-law, Betty and Dottie Hastings of St. Cloud, FL; many cousins and friends, generations of nieces and nephews … all whom he loved and appreciated … (especially those who knew him as Uncle Bookie)!!!
Armand served three years of military service, followed by national guard duty — always very patriotic .. and loved his country, “America, The Beautiful — The Land of the Free.”
Armand barbered in Keene and Swanzey, NH prior to moving to Orlando in 1972 with his wife and two daughters, one of whom (Leanna), most likely headed up the greeting team, consisting among others, of his brothers: Martin, Dick, Arnold, Eddie, Carl, his sister Edna, his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends upon his entrance into Heaven after coming through that Pearly Gate with Jesus!!!
After moving to Orlando FL, working as a greenskeeper at Rio Pinar CC, he became owner and operator of Central Barber Shop in Kissimmee, FL for many, many years before retiring and continuing to travel … but traveling for longer periods of time than the many trips and adventures he and his wife enjoyed beforehand.
Armand loved horticulture and attended Valencia Ornamental Horticulture classes shortly after moving to Orlando. He also loved history; loved telling jokes, and always brought love and laughter into a group. His whole life, he loved to hunt and fish (especially with his brothers, nephews and cousins in NH), and enjoyed deep-sea fishing, especially off the coasts of Washington and Oregon with his wife where they traveled many times in their camper and RV, as they both loved the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife enjoyed fishing along the way while traveling in Canada, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska; and while they traveled with their daughter Kelli in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and both daughters across this great country. His favorite place to fish for trout as a youth and throughout his lifetime was his beloved Dublin Lake in his hometown of Dublin, NH.
In his latter years, he loved sharing Jesus — even while hospitalized these last few months, he often shared the importance of salvation to doctors, nurses, technicians … no matter what their faith is, whether they wanted to hear it or not! Didn’t bother him a bit as he was gifted with “holy boldness”!
Needless-to-say, Armas/Armand/Bookie will be greatly missed, greatly loved… and always in our hearts until we, too, are called Home to JESUS.
There will be a Celebration of Life service on Friday, November 4th at 3 o’clock p.m. at Encounter located at 6208 South Orange Avenue #108, Orlando, FL. Everyone is welcome!