Alfredo R. Agron

1910 - 2015

Alfredo "Fred" Ravelo Agron passed away peacefully in the home that he built, on June 25, 2015, surrounded by his beloved wife and family. Prior to his passing, Alfredo was distinguished as the oldest living Alaskan World War II veteran. A Visitation will be held at St. Anthony Catholic Church on 825 South Klevin Street in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, July 16, 2015. A rosary prayer begins at 5:30 p.m., with a Celebration of Life in the Parish Hall afterwards. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 17, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Saint Anthony Catholic Church. The Graveside Service with Full Military Honors will take place afterwards, at 12:30 p.m., at the National Cemetery, Fort Richardson. Alfredo was born to Celerina Ravelo Agron and Silverio Agron on Dec. 24, 1910, in Claveria, Cagayan, the Philippines. He entered the United States in June 1931. In 1942, Alfredo enlisted in the United States Army to fight in the Philippines as part of the U.S. Army's First Philippine Regiment during World War II. He, along with the members of his unit, were tasked to provide reconnaissance and intelligence directly to General Douglas MacArthur's Headquarters. His tactical information provided strategic options for the Allied return to the Philippine Islands. He was awarded numerous decorations for his bravery and service, to include the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. Following his honorable discharge from the Army of the United States in 1951, he came to Alaska, to work for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and later became a Department of the Army Civil Service employee at Fort Richardson until his retirement in 1978. In 1965, he co-founded the Filipino Community of Anchorage, Alaska, Inc. and served as the Founding President. He was recognized in 1998, with a Heritage Appreciation Award for his contribution to Alaska's social and cultural development and for his continued participation in the activities or projects of Filipinos in Alaska. Alfredo served on then-Mayor George Sullivan's task force for the planning and eventual construction of swimming pools at Anchorage area high schools. In 2010, he was recognized by a Joint Proclamation of the Alaska State House and Senate, for his lasting contributions to the Anchorage Community. Alfredo is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Pacita Pacis Agron; his three sons and their spouses, Colonel (retired) Gary Alfredo Agron and Gina of Eagle River, Alaska, Robert Pacis Agron, now retired in Las Vegas, N.V., and Charles Pacis Agron and Lisa, living in Seattle, Wash.; and his grandchildren, Jeremy Ryan, Robert Brandon Jr., Gabriel George, Kimberly Dawn, Dominic Nemesio, Joshua Alfredo, Maleah Isabella and Matthew David. He will always be known for his love and commitment to his wife and family, his enduring desire to always "humbly, be better," and his serenity and appreciation for all that he had. His adventures became our history; he was the rock and foundation of our family and he will be missed immensely.