Funeral of Deacon Jose Antonio Morales

Deacon Jose Antonio Morales 
(June 13, 1929 - February 20, 2015)

Jose Antonio Morales, 85, arrived at the home of his heavenly Father on February, 20, 2015. Jose, son of Maria (Santana) and Ruperto Morales was born on June 13, 1929 in Comerio, Puerto Rico. He is predeceased in death by brothers Antonio Morales, Sr, Natividad Morales, Sr, sisters Maria Luisa Morales- Rivera and Jovita Morales, Jose is survived by his wife of 65 years Luz Maria Morales, sister Mariana Morales-Diaz, daughter Nancy Morales, sons Juan, William and Edgar Morales, grandchildren Robert, Leyna and Caroline Morales, great grandchildren Winslow and Charlotte Morales, and numerous nieces and nephews. After serving his country in the Korean War as a member of the US Army "Borinqueneer 65th Regiment", which recently was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, he moved to Hartford, CT in 1954 to pursue his education and life goals in service to community and church. He was employed by area employers Olivetti-Underwood, Colt Firearms, Greater Hartford Business Bureau and ultimately as a psychiatric social worker with St. Francis Hospital, while attaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services in 1982. In addition to his giving and assistance to his fellow man, he was ordained as the first Hispanic deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in 1973 for the Archdiocese of Hartford and continued in his deaconate ministry in the Hartford, San Juan, Orlando and St Petersburg Dioceses until retirement in 2010. The immediate family will receive extended family and friends from 4:00PM to 8:00PM on Friday, February 27, 2015 at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church,10 Campfield Ave., Hartford CT. Catholic Mass is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, 2015, at 10:00 AM at St Augustine's Church followed by burial with military honors at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown CT. In lieu of flowers consider a donation to St Augustine Church for continued ministry in the Hartford community Jose loved. To share a memory with the family please visit www.dillonbaxter.com

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