Obituary for Dionisio A. Ancheta
Dionisio Abenojar Ancheta, 92, of Irving, Texas, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, November 7, 2022 surrounded by his loving family.
His funeral Mass will be 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, November 22 at St. Luke Catholic Church in Irving, followed by military burial with honors at DFW National Cemetery in Dallas...15 minutes prior to the service, friends and family attending, will begin the processional line up at the cemetery in Lane 3.
Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Rosary Service at 6:00 p.m., Monday, November 21, at Ben F. Brown Memorial Funeral Home, 707 N. MacArthur Boulevard, Irving.
Dionisio was born in December 1929 in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija, on the island of Luzon, Philippines. He was the eldest of eight children of Silvestra Abenojar Ancheta and Fermin Dagdag Ancheta. As a child who grew up in the Philippine countryside during the Great Depression and World War II, he had many stories of his life experiences during those difficult times.
Dionisio graduated high school from Nueva Ecija Institute, and received an Education degree from Corregidor College. He became a teacher in his hometown of Talugtug, where his future wife, Catalina was also a teacher. After teaching for a short time, he decided to enlist in the United States Navy, and asked Catalina to wait for him to marry. They proceeded to engage in an extended long-distance romance as Dionisio joined the Navy and left the Philippines in 1954. He spent the next 22 years in faithful and honorable service to the United States with assignments ashore and at sea, including destroyer and aircraft carrier tours of duty. He also served during the Vietnam War in Da Nang in 1965-66. Dionisio ended active duty in 1978 as a Chief Petty Officer at Naval Air Station Dallas as a Disbursing Officer. He continued disbursing work at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in the United States Civil Service until his final retirement in 1998.
After having established himself with his first U.S. Navy enlistment, Dionisio returned to the Philippines to wed his hometown sweetheart, Catalina Villanueva Niegos. They were married for 62 years, and raised a fine family that will serve as a lasting legacy.
As patriarch of the Ancheta family, Dionisio was truly a devoted husband, loving father, doting grandfather and great-grandfather, a supportive and helpful brother and uncle, and friend to all who knew him. To Dionisio, family was everything, and this love and selflessness made him a hero to his children. He was a strong leader, and very active in organizing and leading Filipino-American Associations wherever he lived throughout the years. Dionisio was a parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church for 51 years.
In his spare time, he was a handyman at home, enjoyed cooking, and watching Dallas Cowboys games. He also enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends. He especially loved filming his family and enjoyed watching the movies, listening to music, playing guitar on occasion, and instilled love of the arts in his children. He enjoyed seeing his children and grandchildren sing, dance, and play their instruments. He will always be lovingly remembered as a devoted, giving, supportive, funny, patient, and kind man. Dionisio was a big dreamer, who loved adventure and was passionate about being his best. He led by example, as someone who worked hard to achieve success and treasured every blessing. He humbly lived his life to the fullest.
Dionisio is preceded in death by his father, Fermin; mother Silvestra; brother, Patricio; sister, Estrella Ancheta Agua; and brother, Rodrigo. Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife, Catalina; brother, Cornelio; sister, Warlita Ancheta Cruz; sister, Florentina Ancheta Puett; and brother, Rufino; and his children: daughter, Carolyn Bruich and husband Greg; daughter, Susan Martinez and husband Louis; daughter, Jeanette Teague and husband Darren; and son, Dionisio, Jr. and wife Tina. Dionisio is also survived by nine grandchildren: Catherine, Genevieve, Madeleine, Martin, Bernadette, Ashley, Charles Andrew, Parker, and Griffin; three great grandchildren: Adeline, Hazel, and Elliott; as well as numerous other family and friends who will remember him dearly.
His funeral Mass will be 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, November 22 at St. Luke Catholic Church in Irving, followed by military burial with honors at DFW National Cemetery in Dallas...15 minutes prior to the service, friends and family attending, will begin the processional line up at the cemetery in Lane 3.
Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. and Rosary Service at 6:00 p.m., Monday, November 21, at Ben F. Brown Memorial Funeral Home, 707 N. MacArthur Boulevard, Irving.
Dionisio was born in December 1929 in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija, on the island of Luzon, Philippines. He was the eldest of eight children of Silvestra Abenojar Ancheta and Fermin Dagdag Ancheta. As a child who grew up in the Philippine countryside during the Great Depression and World War II, he had many stories of his life experiences during those difficult times.
Dionisio graduated high school from Nueva Ecija Institute, and received an Education degree from Corregidor College. He became a teacher in his hometown of Talugtug, where his future wife, Catalina was also a teacher. After teaching for a short time, he decided to enlist in the United States Navy, and asked Catalina to wait for him to marry. They proceeded to engage in an extended long-distance romance as Dionisio joined the Navy and left the Philippines in 1954. He spent the next 22 years in faithful and honorable service to the United States with assignments ashore and at sea, including destroyer and aircraft carrier tours of duty. He also served during the Vietnam War in Da Nang in 1965-66. Dionisio ended active duty in 1978 as a Chief Petty Officer at Naval Air Station Dallas as a Disbursing Officer. He continued disbursing work at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in the United States Civil Service until his final retirement in 1998.
After having established himself with his first U.S. Navy enlistment, Dionisio returned to the Philippines to wed his hometown sweetheart, Catalina Villanueva Niegos. They were married for 62 years, and raised a fine family that will serve as a lasting legacy.
As patriarch of the Ancheta family, Dionisio was truly a devoted husband, loving father, doting grandfather and great-grandfather, a supportive and helpful brother and uncle, and friend to all who knew him. To Dionisio, family was everything, and this love and selflessness made him a hero to his children. He was a strong leader, and very active in organizing and leading Filipino-American Associations wherever he lived throughout the years. Dionisio was a parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church for 51 years.
In his spare time, he was a handyman at home, enjoyed cooking, and watching Dallas Cowboys games. He also enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends. He especially loved filming his family and enjoyed watching the movies, listening to music, playing guitar on occasion, and instilled love of the arts in his children. He enjoyed seeing his children and grandchildren sing, dance, and play their instruments. He will always be lovingly remembered as a devoted, giving, supportive, funny, patient, and kind man. Dionisio was a big dreamer, who loved adventure and was passionate about being his best. He led by example, as someone who worked hard to achieve success and treasured every blessing. He humbly lived his life to the fullest.
Dionisio is preceded in death by his father, Fermin; mother Silvestra; brother, Patricio; sister, Estrella Ancheta Agua; and brother, Rodrigo. Left to cherish his memory are his devoted wife, Catalina; brother, Cornelio; sister, Warlita Ancheta Cruz; sister, Florentina Ancheta Puett; and brother, Rufino; and his children: daughter, Carolyn Bruich and husband Greg; daughter, Susan Martinez and husband Louis; daughter, Jeanette Teague and husband Darren; and son, Dionisio, Jr. and wife Tina. Dionisio is also survived by nine grandchildren: Catherine, Genevieve, Madeleine, Martin, Bernadette, Ashley, Charles Andrew, Parker, and Griffin; three great grandchildren: Adeline, Hazel, and Elliott; as well as numerous other family and friends who will remember him dearly.