COLON, ABRAHAM

A funeral mass was celebrated Dec. 13 at the St. Joseph Parish, Trenton, for Abraham Lao Colon, 81, of Lawrenceville. He passed away peacefully in the presence of his family at RWJ hospital in Hamilton on Dec. 7.
He was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He achieved the rank of sergeant and received an honorable discharge in June 1956. He was awarded a Purple Heart. Afterwards, he settled in Hoboken NJ. He married Margarita Ramos on Aug. 25, 1956.
He is survived by his wife Margarita Lao; a daughter and son-in-law, Michael and Marlene Lao-Collins of Trenton; a son and daughter-in-law Kelvin and Evelyn Lao of Shirley, N.Y.; six grandchildren: Anamaria Lao, Mariana Lao, Kelvin Abraham Lao Jr., and Jose Alberto Lao, all of Miami, Fla.; Eric Michael Collins, Abraham Francis Collins, both of Trenton NJ; and one great granddaughter Samantha Murillo, of Miami Fla., and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He retired as a truant officer from the Hoboken Board of Education in 1998. He unsuccessfully ran for the office of councilman in the 4th Ward, and was a founding member of Caparra Housing Development.
He was a Catholic, loved Mother Mary, and held a particular devotion to St. Joseph., and believed in the power of prayer. He was an active member of St. Joseph Parish in Hoboken, involved in many ministries. He and Margarita were very involved in the Catholic Charismatic Movement in the Archdiocese of Newark.
In 2000, Abraham and Margarita relocated to Lawrence. They became parishioners of St. Joseph Parish in Trenton. There, he continued his service to the Lord by founding the parish’s Santo Nombre (Holy Name Society). He also formed the Eucharistic Ministry, started the devotion to Divine Mercy, and was involved in the Grupo de Oracion (prayer group). Services arranged by the Chiacchio Southview Funeral Home.