John Anthony Abel
"Tony"

At 9:40 a.m. on Halloween morning, 2020, following a valiant battle with Parkinson's Disease and dementia, Tony told us all good-bye and said hello to God.

Husband, father, grandfather, Grumps, brother, Franciscan Prefect, sacristan, Minister of the Eucharist, liturgy lector, seminary drop-out, military veteran, historian, journalist, coach, woodworker, farmer, professor, friend, procrastinator, troop leader, irreverent SOB, Santa…

No matter how you know and love him, he triumphantly entered Heaven to share these treasured gifts with his Lord and Savior.

We are comforted by our love, faith, and vision of the glorious entrance he made into Heaven along with our memories and mark he made upon our hearts.

Tony was born on October 2, 1941, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, in Trilla, Illinois to John Forrest Abel and Goldie Rhea Collingsworth.  Very shortly after his birth, the family moved to Neoga, Illinois to accommodate Tony's father's job with the Illinois Central Railroad.  Ultimately, the family of four girls and two boys settled in Mattoon, Illinois. During his high school years in ROTC, Tony worked as a disc jockey at the local radio station, WLBH, and walked the bean fields in summer and picked corn.  Tony graduated Mattoon High School in 1959 and, on Christmas Eve of that year, left home for basic training in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.  His Army intelligence service required he learn several languages and took him to England, France, Spain, and Laos.

He was awarded a certificate of recognition for his service during the Cold War by Secretary of State, William S. Cohen. Upon discharge he married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Sue Miller.  They had two lovely daughters, Shannon Sue and Paula Ann.  The Abels moved to Terra Haute, Indiana where Tony received his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University (and later a Master of Arts in Communication degree from the University of Illinois) while managing the university's radio station, WIBQ.  With the Vietnam War still raging, following graduation, Tony enlisted in the U.S. Navy and as a Lt. JG, served as public affairs officer while working as an anchor for WTHL Channel 10 television in Terra Haute covering the Indiana Legislature.

The family soon returned to Mattoon, Illinois where Tony again worked at WLBH until an opportunity as a weekend anchor at WCIA CBS Channel 3 in Champagne/Urbana, Illinois presented itself. He became their legislative correspondent in the state capitol of Springfield, Illinois.  He was one of a few members of media invited to attend the Illinois State Constitutional Convention and in later years presented papers to other state legislatures who were contemplating their own constitutional conventions. Following his television career, Tony became the campaign manager for Neil Hartigan when he was running for Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois and upon his election, served as his chief of staff.  During this time, Tony and Sandy divorced and he helped establish Divorce Ministry in the Catholic Diocese of Springfield.  Following Hartigan's unsuccessful re-election bid, Tony went to work at Illinois Bell as downstate Illinois media relations manager, where one of his duties was to take the Chicago Symphony on tour of the state.

It was in divorce ministry that he met his wife, Cece, at a conference for separated and divorced Catholics at the University of Notre Dame.  They conducted a year-long long-distance romance; he from Springfield, and she from the Houston, Texas area, before marrying on June 26, 1982.  Cece and her two sons, Ben and Bryan, joined Tony in Springfield where they began their new family adventure.  The boys attended St. Agnes Catholic School where Tony took time off of work to teach boys P.E., coach the boys' baseball teams, and, with Cece, form a Boy Scout troop at St. Agnes where he served as scout master.  Tony and Cece became Procurator Advocates in the Springfield Diocese for Catholics seeking annulments of their previous marriages in order to remarry in the church and continued this ministry in the Archdioceses of both Chicago and San Antonio.

Eventually, Illinois Bell became Ameritech and Tony was transferred to Chicago. He and Cece became active in St. Anne's Parish in Barrington, Illinois, serving as Chairs of the annual parish picnic; members of the parish council and ministers of the Eucharist.  Tony coached son Bryan's football and baseball teams and was active in the Barrington High School Booster Club.

Tony eventually retired from the company and the family moved to San Antonio, Texas to be close to his daughters who had grown up in San Angelo, and his wife's family in Canyon Lake and Houston.  He went to work at USAA, the financial services giant, managing their then new cell phone program - worked in IT, and eventually became editor of the employee newsletter, Highlights.  After a USAA RIF in 2002, Tony then began his educator career teaching Freshman Rhetoric and Business and Professional Communications at Palo Alto College and St. Phillip's College, ultimately landing at University of the Incarnate Word for many years, teaching the same subjects as well as a masters in communication course.   He and Cece traveled extensively in Europe and he became the liaison between his Army military association; the 13 ^th United States Army Security Agency Field Station Association (13 ^th USASAFSA), planning and hosting two reunions in San Antonio and two in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.  As editor of the Menwith Sentimental, he received two Public Relations Society of America Del Oro Awards; one for the Menwith newsletter and one for the Menwith website and was commended by the Association as "Editor of an Award-Winning Newsletter, Lyricist of the Menwith Hymn; Trip Coordinator and Outstanding Reunion Coordinator."

Tony was Prefect of the Secular Oblates of St. Francis of Assisi in the Catholic Church and served as Mass Captain, Lector, and Liturgy M.C. for more than 25 years at St. Mary Magdalen Parish.  As a Franciscan, he instituted their free Thanksgiving dinner in the parish, eventually serving more than 200 people at their 21 ^st annual dinner. Under his leadership, the Franciscans conducted a free medical clinic in the parish for several years and assisted the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Tony was loved for his quirky outlook on life, his irreverent sense of humor and his Encyclopedia Britannica brilliance.  He was a man of many talents, too numerous to list, and a passionate student of military history.  He constantly challenged his children, grandchildren, and students into becoming the excellent critical thinkers that they grew to be.

Tony was predeceased in death by his parents, brother, Fred Abel; sisters; Terry Jamison, Sally Shields, and Mickey Hanniman.  He is survived by wife, Cece, daughters, Shannon Meadows (Donny,) Paula Turner (Michael); sons: Ben Marshall and Bryan Marshall (Makenzi); grandchildren; Roanna Murray (Shawn), Nikki Worley, Tim Worley (Shawna), Patrick Gray; Kade, Camden and Koen Turner, Kendall and Kaleigh Marshall, Neely and Jack Marshall and great grandson, Dylan Murray;  sister, Marty Jetto (Bob); four sisters-in-law, three brothers-in- law and more than 30 nieces and nephews.

Tony, a political animal, did not make it to the polls this time, but, via Facebook and CaringBridge on election eve, was able to urge everyone to vote for Donald Trump!

Funeral Arrangements

Friends of the Able family are respectfully invited to attend

the Celebration of Life of Tony Abel

on Friday, October 1, 9:30 A.M.

Mass of the Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church

Interment following with military honors

at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

Please visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/tonyabel for updates on arrangements.

The family extends our heartfelt thanks to the Trinity Hospice "Pink Team;" Nurses Brittnie, Teresa, Debbie, Monica; CNAs, Christian, Crisptina and Patricia; Social Worker, Jorge; and Chaplains Jim and Al.  God love all of y'all for the care and support so lovingly offered.

Wherever a beautiful soul has been,

there is a trail of beautiful memories.
-Unknown