CWO Abraham K. Ignacio Bio

www.79thArmyBand.org - The Unofficial Website of Former Band Members 1964-1967

ABRAHAM IGNACIO
"Iggy"
CWO 79th Army Band

In Memoriam 1922-2008

Abraham Ignacio, 86, of Rocheport died Friday, Dec. 12, 2008, at his home in Rocheport.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, with Masonic service at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Ignacio will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in February.

He was born Feb. 8, 1922, in Honolulu, Oahu, territory of Hawaii to Alexander K. Ignacio and Violet K. McKeague.

As a teen, "Piccolo" was a member of the Royal Hawaiian Band, Honolulu Junior Symphony, Honolulu Symphony, A’ia Plantation Band, VFW Band, Shriners Band, Army Legion Band and Farrington High School Band.

After high school, he was employed at Pearl Harbor as a civilian laborer. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor and served four years in the Merchant Marines before enlisting in the Army on June 5, 1946, in Honolulu. He was the 1st Sergeant of the Army Element at the Naval School of Music, where he was presented a Navy Ship’s Bell. He became a bandmaster and enjoyed tours of duty in Austria, Germany, Korea, Panama and many places stateside. He retired from Fort Hood, Texas, in 1976, to Boonville, where he taught at Kemper Military School and Junior College until 2002.

He married Frances Ann Orr in 1952 in Claremore, Okla., and she preceded him in death. He married Frances Louise Wright on Sept. 21, 1985, and she survives at the home.

His memberships include Lake of the Woods Golf Course; Three-Dollar Golf Club, Association of Retired Military Musicians; Navy Retired Musicians Association; Cooper Lodge No. 36 of Boonville; Veterans of Foreign Wars; life member of American Legion Post No. 0202, Aloha Shriners of Honolulu; Allied Masonic Degrees (Mid-MO 291); Aleppo Grotto; Royal Order of Scotland of the USA; De Molay Legion of Honor of Honolulu; National Sojourners Inc. Kansas City Chapter No. 63; Chigger-fest Lodge in Brookfield; 50-year member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, SJ, USA, 32nd degree, Valley of Columbia, Orient of Missouri and Valley of Honolulu; Twilight Lodge No. 114 in Columbia; York Rite of Centralia; Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 356 in Harrisburg; Sword of Bunker Hill in Columbia; charter member of the World War II Memorial Society; World War II Memorial Registry of Remembrances; and Grand Lodge of Missouri AF&AM.

He received the National Defense Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea); Meritorious Service Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Army of Occupational Medal (Germany); Legion of Merit; and Good Conduct Medal.

He is survived by his wife, Frances; children Robert Rodrigues and wife Tove of Kamuela, Hawaii, John Ignacio and wife Sherry of Dowagiac, Mich., Abraham Ignacio Jr. of Columbia, Michael Wright and wife Christina of Augusta, Nancy Bizzle and husband Greg of St. Clair, Nani Fudge and husband Tod of Hallsville, and Mark Wright and wife Ellen of Breese, Ill.

He loved and was loved by 27 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and adopted family members and friends.

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