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‘Soldier of Christ – Well Done!’ PROMOTED TO GLORY |
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Major John Begonia (R) was promoted to Glory recently from Hale Makua Home of the Elderly in Kahului, Hawaii. The Major had been in ill health for some time before the Lord called him Home.
Born in 1915 in the Philippines, he emigrated to Hawaii, where he was a cane cutter and boxer. He entered the School for Officer Training in San Francisco and was commissioned as part of the Steadfast Session in 1942.
He served as corps assistant in the Hawaiian Islands and volunteered to return to the Philippine Islands when the Army began work there. In 1947 he was appointed to Urdeneta, P.I.
He married Claudia Navarro, who had been trained there, and more corps appointments followed in the Philippines. At Bagulo their son, (now Major) William Begonia, was born.
Before retirement in 1980 they served at Honokaa, Hawaii, and Lihue, Kauai. Years of faithful soldiership followed in several corps.
Funeral services were conducted by Major Don Mowery at the Kahului Corps. A service of committal at Haiku Cemetery was held with Colonel Don Sather officiating.
The Major is survived by his beloved wife, Claudia, his son and daughter-in-law, Majors William and Bernadita Begonia; and four grandchildren: Capt. Ann Marguerite Jones; Bramwell, Shoshannah and Anthony Begonia and a sister and brother in the Philippines.
Messages of sympathy may be sent to the Begonia family at 548 S. Kamechameha Ave., Kahului, HI, 96732-1939.
After months of battling cancer, Major Joe Frank Viola (R) was promoted to Glory from the Litiz, Penn. home of his close friends Majors Charles and Shirley Drummond (R). He was 66.
A native of Salem, Ohio, Joe was commissioned in New York with the Intercessors Session in 1952. After nine years of corps appointments throughout the East, his desire to build up “the characters of men who are down-and-out” prompted a transfer to the Men’s Social Service Department. The name later adopted for that department’s centers, Adult Rehabilitation Centers, was proposed by him. Joe was one of the first Men’s Social directors in the East to initiate a women’s program at a center.
Joe served at ARCs in both the Eastern and Western territories. His appointments in the West included centers in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Tucson, Ariz., San Bernardino, Calif., Los Angeles, and Phoenix, Ariz.
Joe’s strong work ethic and commitment drove him to continue his service past his December 1996 retirement. His post-retirement appointments were as administrator of the Perris and San Diego, Calif. ARCs.
A memorial service, lead by Lt. Colonel Alan Thompson with Major Donald MacMurdo speaking, was held in Lancaster, Penn.
Joe leaves behind sisters Mary Wilkinson and Theresa Everson, of Salem, Ohio, and Major Elizabeth Miles of Ocean, NJ; brother Anthony of Salem, Ohio, and nieces and nephews. Messages may be sent to Major Elizabeth Miles, P.O. Box 729, Oakhurst, NJ 07755.
