Colonel Irene Jean Eliseo

Colonel Irene J. Eliseo (retired) passed away on January 24, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. She will be missed greatly by so many who knew her, including her Air Force friends and colleagues, and especially her siblings, Ben Eliseo, Virginia Eliseo, Mary Eliseo and Carl Eliseo, and her many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by both of her parents, Cesar Giovanni Eliseo and Livia Pauline Eliseo, her sister Anna Eliseo and brothers, John Eliseo, Paul Eliseo and George Eliseo. Irene Jean Eliseo was born to Cesare Giovanni Eliseo and Livia Pauline LaRosa on June 28, 1939 in Youngstown, Ohio. She received her diploma in Nursing from St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing in Youngstown in 1960 where she worked as a staff nurse until she decided to join the US Air Force in 1962. This was the start of an illustrious military career which spanned almost 30 years. Irene served as a staff nurse during her early years in the Air Force in Michigan, Puerto Rico, and California. After successfully completing the Air Force Flight Nurse Course, she received her first of many aero-medical evacuation related assignments as a Flight Nurse assigned at Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX. Next was the first of two assignments to pursue formal education full-time; she completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Incarnate Word College, San Antonio, TX in 1971. This was followed with back-to-back supervisory assignments in hospitals in Japan and then California. Next was her second full-time education assignment at Loma Linda University in CA where she received a Masters of Science in Nursing in 1975. This was followed by her first assignment as an Academic Instructor at the Air Force’s School of Health Care Sciences in Wichita Falls, TX. Her next five assignments were in administration: Chief Nurse of an Air Force Hospital in MO; Chief of the Aerospace Nursing Program in San Antonio, TX at the School of Aerospace Medicine; Deputy Chief Nurse of Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, TX; Chief Nurse of the 375th Aero-medical Evacuation Wing at Scott AFB, IL; then a return to the School of Health Care Sciences in Wichita Falls, TX as the Chief Nurse. Her final assignment before retiring in 1991 was as the Command Nurse of Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, San Antonio, TX. Irene received numerous military awards and decorations during her career; the most significant were the Legion of Merit, four Meritorious Service Medals, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award four times, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, National Defense Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Defense Medal. After retirement from the Air Force, she returned to clinical nursing for many years at Santa Rosa Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. Irene was a charter member of both the Society of Air Force Nurses and the Women In Military Service for America Memorial located at the gates to Arlington National Cemetery. She was a source of inspiration, encouragement and support for the people in her life. THERE ARE SEVERAL MASSES BEING SAID WITH IRENE’S INTENTION ON MARCH 10TH, MARCH 17TH AND MARCH 24TH AT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI’S 5:00 P.M. MASS, 4201 DE ZAVALA ROAD., SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78249. Irene’s family will be in attendance at the March 17, mass. There will be a graveside service to include a Nightingale Tribute Ceremony at her burial with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX on March 16, 2018 at 2:30 PM. In memory of Irene, in lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Women’s Memorial Foundation, Department 560, Washington, DC 20004 – 5060 or a charity of your choice. Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX is handling the arrangements. To sign the guestbook, please visit http://www.sunsetnwfuneralhome.com.