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ABBOTT, ALFRED ACHILLE LT. COL. (RET) age 101, born in Castelmezzano, Italy and an immigrant to the USA at the age of 9, passed away peacefully at his residence since 1996 at La Vida Llena on Sept 7, 2013, where he enjoyed his many friends and the excellent care of the LVL staff. He was preceded in death by parents, Rocco and Vincenza Abbate and many siblings. He personally took care of his brother, Mike, his sister, Marie and her husband, and his nephew, Joseph, when they were no longer able to care for themselves. He will be sorely missed by his nephew, Frank Pecerni of New York; nieces, Wendy Cloutier Palmer of Michigan and Gloria Antonell of Florida; and his many friends, including especially Mrs. Ollie Mae Hopper, who was his constant companion and best friend for 17 years. He was a long-time resident of Albuquerque who graduated from the University of Denver and attended West Point Prep School and UNM as a graduate student. Al enlisted in the US Army as a private and retired as a Lt. Col after 28 years service. He experienced buzz bombs in London and was in Paris on D.E. Day. Al was a consummate teacher of Spanish, English, and History in California and Albuquerque schools. He was inducted into the Albuquerque Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 1998, after extensive work with and contributions to many civic organizations, including the Good Shepherd Brothers, the Friendship Force, the Retired Officers Association, the Albuquerque Philosophers Unlimited Club, the Albuquerque Public Schools Volunteer Board, the Crime Victims Assistance Organization, the United Nations Association of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Council for International Visitors, and he directed and staffed an all-Volunteer Summer Tutoring Center to help elementary school children. Known for his generosity, he funded medical scholarships at UNM, CNM, the University of Denver, and Meharry Medical College, a historically black college, and he was a generous donor to ARCA, the Good Shepherd Center, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Italian and Mexican Volcano and Earthquake Relief Organizations, and other charitable organizations. He willed his body to science at the UNM Medical School and his cremains will be interred at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe next year. There will be an ecumenical memorial service on October 1, 2013 at 10:00 AM to celebrate Al's life with his many friends, relatives, and neighbors. It will be held at La Vida Llena, 10501 Lagrima De Oro Rd NE, Albuquerque NM 87111, with Chaplain Gerry Lightwine and Brother Gerard Sullivan, BGS presiding. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers should be sent to the Good Shepherd Center, P.O. Box 749, Albuquerque, NM 87103 or to ARCA, 11300 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 87112.
        Published on: Sun September 29, 2013