Abraham Nooger

Resident of Scottsdale, Arizona

Lt. Col. Abraham Nooger, USAF Retired, died of natural causes at ninety-nine years and seven months, February 15, 2016. Born in Memphis, July 9, 1916, to Jack and Manya Nooger, immigrants from Zhitomir, Ukraine, he was raised in Brooklyn and educated in boarding schools in upstate NY.

After enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1941, he served during WWII, in Korea, and Vietnam, in addition to peacetime service in Europe and two tours in Japan. He described himself as “a damn good pilot”, and was decorated accordingly, having earned the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross, among many other accolades, while flying a broad portfolio of planes, including the P51, F80, F86, F100, and C47.

He began his military career as an airplane mechanic, and led several maintenance squadrons. He worked briefly in First Missile Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, but soon returned to airplanes. While at Vandenberg he earned his AA degree from Alan Hancock College.

After retiring from the Air Force, he worked as the Superintendent of Building and Automotive Maintenance for the City of Santa Clara, CA from 1970 to 1979, when he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

He flew his Cessna 172 for a few years and enjoyed fishing with his nephews Polo Sena and Phil C de Baca.

In early 2000, after his beloved wife Cleo (C de Baca) passed away, he moved to Scottsdale, where he was a cherished member of his community especially the morning water aerobics group. He enjoyed living near his nieces Anne Campbell and Debbie Carollo (Tony) and their families. He was visited frequently by his niece Judee Biggles (Rich) of Santa Fe.

Samira Mambouray and Elizabeth McBurney assisted with his care, enhancing his quality of life for several years.

Al is survived by his only child Anita Nooger Nichols (Les) of Mountain View, two grandchildren: Karen Winslow (Troy) of Elk Grove, CA, Richard Nichols(Andréa) of Santos, Brazil, and two great-grand children: Victoria Winslow and Timothy Winslow. He leaves many cousins on the East Coast. He was predeceased by his half brother Jim Evans (Barbara) of Fountain Hills, AZ and his brother Sam (Dorothy) of Hudson, WI, brother in law Marshall Sercus of NY, and Rose C de Baca of Albuquerque.

His ashes will be interred next to those of his wife Cleo at National Cemetery, Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 18, on what would have been their 75th wedding anniversary.