Ignatius Lacombe

PLATTSBURGH — Ignatius Lacombe, of Plattsburgh and formerly of Peru, died at home on March 16, 2007. He was the beloved husband of Dorothy Lacombe and was born to John and Catherine (Rowley) Lacombe in Fort Covington on Sept. 1, 1919.

Ignatius graduated from Fort Covington High School and Cornell University. During his senior year at Cornell, in early 1942, as the United States involvement in World War II was increasing, he entered military service, as did four of his brothers. In January 1943, while sailing to Europe on the Queen Elizabeth, which had been converted to a troop ship carrying 15,000 soldiers, he met his future wife, Lt. Dorothy Cutler, an Army nurse. They were married in September 1944 in the chapel of the Army's 1,700-bed tent hospital in Normandy, France. Ignatius served in the U.S. Army in England and France, and was discharged in 1945.

Upon returning to the United States, Ignatius was employed by the Veterans Administration as a counselor in New York City, Albany, and Plattsburgh. After the closing of the Plattsburgh VA office, he was employed as a management analyst at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, retiring in 1978.

Over the years, his memberships included the Peru Central School Board of Education, Clinton County Historical Association, committee for the celebration of the American Revolution Bicentennial on PAFB, Peru Bicentennial Committee, Adirondack Mountain Club's Board of Governors, Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Licensed Adirondack Mountain Guides, High Peaks Audubon Society, Peru VFW, Plattsburgh American Legion Post 20, Plattsburgh Lodge of Elks, National Eagle Scout Association, Franco-American Federation, L'Association des Lacombe, La Société des Filles du Roi et Soldats du Carignan, St. Augustine's Church in Peru for more than 55 years, and St. Peter's Church following his 2001 move to Lake Forest in Plattsburgh. He was inducted into the Peru Central School Hall of Fame in June 2006.

Ignatius particularly enjoyed mountain climbing, backpacking, bird watching, genealogy, gardening, traveling, and family gatherings.

In addition to his wife of 62 years, he is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Dorothy and Patrick Gregory of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Mary Lacombe of Raleigh, N.C., Barbara and Ronald McGee of Plattsburgh; four sons and daughters-in-law, Ignatius and Violet Lacombe of Plattsburgh, Pierre and Kathy Lacombe of Florence, N.J., André and Paula Calkins Lacombe of Plattsburgh, Christopher and Suzanne Lacombe of Peru; 13 grandchildren, Shannon, Timothy, Samuel, Jordan, Christopher, Jason, Marcus, Monica, Jillian, André Paul, Jocelyn, Marcie, and Colleen; and three great-grandchildren, Sean Parker Brown, John Carbon, and Benjamin Lacombe.

A sister, Mary, of Saratoga, and a brother, Thomas, of Queensbury, also survive Ignatius. He was predeceased by a sister, Catherine, and by four brothers, John, Francis, Pierre, and Gerald.

Calling hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Peru. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh with the Rev. John R. Yonkovig, parish pastor, celebrating, and the Rev. William G. Reamer, CVPH chaplain, concelebrating. Interment will be in St. Augustine's Cemetery in the spring. Donations may be made in Ignatius's memory to the St. Peter's Emmaus Room/building fund.