​A friend of mine, Jen Clapp, recounting the time she received a call from the first man to walk on the moon:

"Jennifer? Hello. This is Neil Armstrong. I'm… an astronaut."

That fits just about every depiction of the humble hero I've ever heard. The AP's news piece opens with this fitting paragraph:

Neil Armstrong was a quiet, self-described nerdy engineer who became a global hero when as a steely-nerved U.S. pilot he made "one giant leap for mankind" with a small step on to the moon. The modest man who entranced and awed people on Earth has died. He was 82.

Thank you for inspiring generations of nerds, Mr. Armstrong. Godspeed.