Adolfo Monserrate Collado

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Adolfo (Al) Monserrate Collado, born April 29, 1927, in Lajas, Puerto Rico, and died September 20, 2016, at his home in San Diego at the age of 89. Al was the oldest son of Adolfo Collado and Ysabel Rivera and had 3 younger siblings: Luis, Miguel, and Santa Elba who have preceded him in death. He spent the first 18 years of his life on his family’s farm in Puerto Rico. In 1945, at the age of 18, he immigrated to New York City. While working in New York, he met the love of his life, Sarah Isabel Carballo. Al and Sarah married in 1951. Immediately following the wedding, Al was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany for two years with The United States Army, 17th Armored Engineer Battalion. Upon returning to New York City, he entered the Delehanty Institute where he studied to become a draftsman. After graduating with his degree, he and Sarah moved to Los Angeles, California, where Al found work with Autonetics- a division of North American Aviation, which later became Rockwell International. Throughout his career, he worked on the Apollo Program, Project Rover, US Air Force communication systems, and the Space Shuttle Program. In 1959, Al and Sarah had their first and only son, Daniel Thomas Collado. After Al’s retirement in 1987, he started making wood crafts. He was a brilliant craftsman and was well-known at local craft fairs. His most popular creations were his “name trains.” For over 20 years, Al meticulously crafted hundreds, if not thousands, of custom, wooden “name trains,” which have found homes all over the world. He crafted his last train two weeks before his death. He is survived by Sarah, his beloved wife of 65 years; his son, Daniel (Beth); and the loves of his life, his three grandchildren: Matthew, John, and Katherine. He was a member of St. Michaels Catholic Parish in Poway, CA. Adolfo will be laid to rest with military honors on September 30, 2016, at El Camino Cemetery in San Diego following funeral services.