Name | Rufus Henry Prados | |
Prefix | Col. | |
Suffix | Jr. | |
Birth | 12 Jun 1915 | New Orleans, Louisiana [1] |
Gender | Male | |
Obituary | Obit., Times-Picayune: PRADOS Col. Rufus Henry Prados, son of the late Ida Ragan Prados and Rufus Henry Prados, Sr., was born in his home June 12, 1915 in New Orleans, and died April 4, 2008. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 53 years, Reneè Abitbol Prados, and his sisters: Ida Prados and Ursula Savoie. . . . Rufus's amazing life journey of over 92 years included 24 years of dedicated Air Force service as a pilot and command officer. Rufus lived life to the fullest and will be remembered as a true gentleman, loving father, and faithful friend. He thanks each of you for sharing his beautiful life with him. "The Colonel's" funeral services will begin with visitation at 9:30 AM Monday, April 7, 2008 at Schoen Funeral Home, 3827 Canal Street, with a Funeral Mass at 11:30 AM. Interment will be at St. Louis Cemetery #3. A fuller, second obituary from the Times-Picayune, Saturday, April 12, 2008: Col. Rufus Prados, military globetrotter By John Pope Col. Rufus Henry Prados, a retired Air Force officer whose career took him and his family around the world, died April 4 at East Jefferson General Hospital. He was 92. During two dozen years in the military, Col. Prados, a native New Orleanian, served in Africa, Japan, the Philippines, France and South Korea, as well as the United States. While in Egypt, he scaled a pyramid and executed a handstand on the summit, said . . . one of his five sons. "He had such a thirst for living," said . . . another son. That started early . . . because Col. Prados was born prematurely, weighing less than 2 pounds. To keep him alive, the tiny infant was tucked inside a shoe box that had been lined with cotton and set next to a fireplace, Peter Prados said. When the Great Depression hit, Rufus Prados had to drop out of Jesuit High School after his freshman year to support his family at a succession of jobs. He was forced to become his family's economic mainstay because his father, a college-trained engineer, could not find work. Although he loved sports, he couldn't afford to join a gymnasium, so he and his friends formed their own. At night, it was a dance hall. They also organized a football team, but money was so tight that there were no spare uniforms. Consequently, when another player was brought in, he had to use another player's equipment -- and pull it on on the sidelines. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Col. Prados enlisted in the Army Air Corps, the forerunner of the Air Force. Because the Depression had made upkeep of a car impractical, he learned to fly before he learned to drive. While in Morocco, he met Renée Abitbol, a Frenchwoman who spoke five languages and was an interpreter for the legendary Gen. George Patton. They married, and the two -- joined, eventually, by five sons -- started the nomadic life of a military officer. He retired from the Air Force in 1966 and worked briefly as an employment counselor. He was a member of the Retired Military Officers Association. . . . A Mass will be said Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Schoen Funeral Home, 3827 Canal St. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. | |
Death | 4 Apr 2008 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Burial | St. Louis Cemetery #3, New Orleans, Louisiana [2] | |
Person ID | I13054 | |
Last Modified | 30 Dec 2023 |
Father | Rufus Henry Prados, Sr. b. 12 Sep 1888, New Orleans, Louisiana d. 3 Nov 1936, New Orleans, Louisiana (Age 48 years) | |
Mother | Ida Amelie Regan b. 24 Aug 1894, New Orleans, Louisiana d. 8 Nov 1987 (Age 93 years) | |
Marriage | 6 Mar 1911 | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Family ID | F2119 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Spouse / Partner | Reneè Abitbol b. 1923 d. 1996 (Age 73 years) | |||||||||||
Children |
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Family ID | F9189 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||
Last Modified | 30 Dec 2023 |
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