Toribio Ocada Abas

TORIBIO OCABA ABAS, age 84, of Abingdon, died in Harford Memorial Hospital on July 24, 2004. Born in Cebu City, Philippines, the youngest of four children, he was the son of the late Joaquin and Ignacia Ocaba Abas and the husband for 55 years of the late Ester A. Sy Abas. He worked as a painter and a barber. While in the Philippines he had been a boxer. He had been drafted at the age of 17 as a Philippine Guerrilla. Later the guerrillas became the Philippine Army, and were recognized by the U.S. Army and under General McArthur’s command during WW II. He was wounded in action. He enjoyed dancing and cock fighting in Virginia, which is a national pastime in the Philippines.

Mr. Abas is survived by one son, Jose S. Abas of Cebu City, Philippines; three daughters, Angelica A. Byrd of Abingdon; Marie Cielo Hale of Abingdon; Cypress A. Rivera of Manila, Philippines; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents and his wife, he was predeceased by one daughter, Grace Miller and one great-grandchild, Jiovanni Miller.