“It’s devastating,” said Matthew Armbruster, who lost his mother and sister in less than one week. “I think mom died from a broken heart. A mother and a daughter have a very deep bond and relationship. Losing a child, whether she’s 49 or 79, is devastating to a parent. It was devastating for mom.”
Melinda Armbruster was semi-retired from the floral business and hadn’t worked in about five years, said Matthew Armbruster, owner of the business.
MORE: Member of Armbruster florist family dies
Tracy Armbruster, a 1985 Middletown High School graduate, was 49. She died of natural causes, her brother said. Her visitation and service were held Saturday.
Now the florist family is planning another service.
Funeral services are pending for Melinda at Baker-Stevens-Parramore Funeral Home.
Melinda's husband, James Armbruster, owner of the business that was established in 1945 and a former city council member, died in 2010. He was 66. A 5.8-acre nature preserve in Middletown is named after the Armbruster family.
Melinda is survived by two sons, Jim II and Matthew, and grandchildren.
Despite the deaths, Matthew Armbruster said the business remains open and will continue serving the community for generations.
“We haven’t skipped a beat and we’re not going to,” he said.
He has received condolences from florists throughout the tri-state, he said.
“The outpouring from the entire community has just been so overwhelming,” he said.
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