Thomas Paul Armstrong died on Feb. 24 at his home in McLean, Va. He was 65.

Born on July 20, 1958 in Whitehaven, Cumbria, Paul grew up in the northwest of England before studying at St. Bees School. He went on to attend St. Catharine’s College of the University of Cambridge, where he graduated in 1980 with a bachelor of arts and a master of arts in engineering.

Paul came to America in 1981 to join MICROS Systems, a small company in Beltsville, Md. He spent the next 27 years there, developing hospitality point of sale products and eventually serving as chief technology officer.

After briefly flirting with retirement at the age of 50, Paul was recruited by Oracle, which had since acquired MICROS, to rejoin his old team and lead product development for the food and beverage business unit. He was inducted into the RSPA Retail Technology Industry Hall of Fame in 2023. His career was the great adventure of his life.

Paul and his wife Katherine met in Washington, D.C. and spent nearly 40 years together. They had two children, Margaret (Meg) Victoria Armstrong and Thomas Andrew (Drew) Armstrong. He was devoted to his family. He was always the first volunteer to coach his children’s sports teams — even if he did not know the rules. For more than 20 years, he and Drew woke up early to watch Liverpool F.C. games. He would travel hundreds of miles to take pictures of Meg playing college lacrosse.

Paul fell in love with Martha’s Vineyard when he first went to visit the Makonikey cabin Katherine’s great aunt purchased in 1950. The extended family spent time each summer on the Island. Ten years ago they rebuilt the house so that the family could be there off-season. Paul had many bike rides around the Island but his favorite was a loop around Lobsterville after which he would ride home, jump into the sound and enjoy stella and a Sandy’s fish burger.

He was also an avid golfer and loved playing at Farm Neck, where he got a hole in one during the Covid pandemic. He loved cars — Porsches to be precise — planes, trains, anything that moved fast. Throughout his life, Paul traveled the world, always looking for the next adventure, always bringing his camera and maybe a few lenses.

In February 2023, Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He tackled his diagnosis with the same tenacity with which he approached everything else. He was always kind and grateful to his caregivers. He raised money and awareness for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) while battling the disease himself.

When told there were no further treatments, Paul accepted his fate with grace. He spent his final days at home, surrounded by his loving family.

Paul is best characterized by his unrelenting drive. He was self-assured in his exacting standards and his constant desire for excellence. He was always a gentleman and a gracious host who never wanted the party to end. His word was sacrosanct and his generosity immense.

He cared deeply for others and proved it through his actions. Everything he did, he did well.

He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and their two children, Meg and Drew. He is also survived by his two siblings, Stuart and Anne, as well as his two nieces and two nephews.

A funeral service will be held on March 16 at 1 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA.

Memorial contributions may be made to PanCAN, through his team You’ll Never Walk Alone.