Albert Abitbol, 81, passed away on August 9, 2016, with family and friends at his side. Graveside service will be at 12 noon, Friday, August 12, 2016, at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.
Albert was born in Casablanca, Morocco, to the late Moses and Solia Cohen Abitol. His adolescence in Morocco came at a dangerous time for the Jewish population residing there, and the specter of Nazi occupation, as well as the eventual occupation of Morocco by American soldiers, left an indelible mark on Albert’s consciousness – transforming him into the person he was.
One of his favorite stories was how he would visit the American soldiers during the occupation and ask for chocolate and other treats, and he would tell them that "he wanted to be just like them when he grew up." After the end of World War II, conditions for the Jews of Morocco worsened, and Albert along with his brothers became leader cell leaders in the underground resistance movement in Morocco. Their efforts were instrumental in helping the emigration of Jews from Morocco after the creation of Israel.
Characteristic of his independent-mindedness and passion for travel, Albert did not choose to live in Israel with the rest of his family and instead explored Europe. During his travels in Germany, Albert met his first wife Elke, and together they had three children Stefan, Michael, and Richard Abitbol. Understanding that he needed a way to provide for his first family, they immigrated to the United States and Albert enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 25.
Albert was truly a citizen of the world, and he fluently spoke and wrote Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English. He loved traveling overseas, cooking foreign cuisines, and greeting strangers of any nationality wherever he went. In fact, Albert had an uncommon knack for placing the exact place of origin of any immigrant he met from Europe and Africa simply based on their accent and in the hundreds of times it was witnessed, he was never incorrect.
While Albert may have been a citizen of the world, America was truly the country he loved and he would certainly be sure to let anyone know that. He served 20 distinguished years in the Army and retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class in 1980. During his time in the army, he served at many critical European posts during the Cold War, as well as participating in more clandestine operations in the Congo on two occasions.
After his time in the military, Albert resumed his world travels where he eventually met his second wife, Maria del-Carmen. They had one son, Aldo Abitbol. During his retirement, Albert created a real estate business to support his family and to teach his new son the values of hard work and education.
Unfortunately, Albert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around 2011, and soon his traveling days were behind him. Despite the increasing difficulties of the disease in his life, he managed to make one final trip overseas, visiting Spain in 2013 where he had a great time doing the thing he loved best.
He was preceded in death by older sisters, Simone and Denise; and older brothers, Charlie and Jaques.
Survivors include four sons; and six grandchildren. H5
Albert was born in Casablanca, Morocco, to the late Moses and Solia Cohen Abitol. His adolescence in Morocco came at a dangerous time for the Jewish population residing there, and the specter of Nazi occupation, as well as the eventual occupation of Morocco by American soldiers, left an indelible mark on Albert’s consciousness – transforming him into the person he was.
One of his favorite stories was how he would visit the American soldiers during the occupation and ask for chocolate and other treats, and he would tell them that "he wanted to be just like them when he grew up." After the end of World War II, conditions for the Jews of Morocco worsened, and Albert along with his brothers became leader cell leaders in the underground resistance movement in Morocco. Their efforts were instrumental in helping the emigration of Jews from Morocco after the creation of Israel.
Characteristic of his independent-mindedness and passion for travel, Albert did not choose to live in Israel with the rest of his family and instead explored Europe. During his travels in Germany, Albert met his first wife Elke, and together they had three children Stefan, Michael, and Richard Abitbol. Understanding that he needed a way to provide for his first family, they immigrated to the United States and Albert enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 25.
Albert was truly a citizen of the world, and he fluently spoke and wrote Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English. He loved traveling overseas, cooking foreign cuisines, and greeting strangers of any nationality wherever he went. In fact, Albert had an uncommon knack for placing the exact place of origin of any immigrant he met from Europe and Africa simply based on their accent and in the hundreds of times it was witnessed, he was never incorrect.
While Albert may have been a citizen of the world, America was truly the country he loved and he would certainly be sure to let anyone know that. He served 20 distinguished years in the Army and retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class in 1980. During his time in the army, he served at many critical European posts during the Cold War, as well as participating in more clandestine operations in the Congo on two occasions.
After his time in the military, Albert resumed his world travels where he eventually met his second wife, Maria del-Carmen. They had one son, Aldo Abitbol. During his retirement, Albert created a real estate business to support his family and to teach his new son the values of hard work and education.
Unfortunately, Albert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around 2011, and soon his traveling days were behind him. Despite the increasing difficulties of the disease in his life, he managed to make one final trip overseas, visiting Spain in 2013 where he had a great time doing the thing he loved best.
He was preceded in death by older sisters, Simone and Denise; and older brothers, Charlie and Jaques.
Survivors include four sons; and six grandchildren. H5
Albert Abitbol, 81, passed away on August 9, 2016, with family and friends at his side. Graveside service will be at 12 noon, Friday, August 12, 2016, at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.
Albert was born in Casablanca, Morocco, to the late Moses and Solia Cohen Abitol. His adolescence in Morocco came at a dangerous time for the Jewish population residing there, and the specter of Nazi occupation, as well as the eventual occupation of Morocco by American soldiers, left an indelible mark on Albert’s consciousness – transforming him into the person he was.
One of his favorite stories was how he would visit the American soldiers during the occupation and ask for chocolate and other treats, and he would tell them that "he wanted to be just like them when he grew up." After the end of World War II, conditions for the Jews of Morocco worsened, and Albert along with his brothers became leader cell leaders in the underground resistance movement in Morocco. Their efforts were instrumental in helping the emigration of Jews from Morocco after the creation of Israel.
Characteristic of his independent-mindedness and passion for travel, Albert did not choose to live in Israel with the rest of his family and instead explored Europe. During his travels in Germany, Albert met his first wife Elke, and together they had three children Stefan, Michael, and Richard Abitbol. Understanding that he needed a way to provide for his first family, they immigrated to the United States and Albert enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 25.
Albert was truly a citizen of the world, and he fluently spoke and wrote Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English. He loved traveling overseas, cooking foreign cuisines, and greeting strangers of any nationality wherever he went. In fact, Albert had an uncommon knack for placing the exact place of origin of any immigrant he met from Europe and Africa simply based on their accent and in the hundreds of times it was witnessed, he was never incorrect.
While Albert may have been a citizen of the world, America was truly the country he loved and he would certainly be sure to let anyone know that. He served 20 distinguished years in the Army and retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class in 1980. During his time in the army, he served at many critical European posts during the Cold War, as well as participating in more clandestine operations in the Congo on two occasions.
After his time in the military, Albert resumed his world travels where he eventually met his second wife, Maria del-Carmen. They had one son, Aldo Abitbol. During his retirement, Albert created a real estate business to support his family and to teach his new son the values of hard work and education.
Unfortunately, Albert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around 2011, and soon his traveling days were behind him. Despite the increasing difficulties of the disease in his life, he managed to make one final trip overseas, visiting Spain in 2013 where he had a great time doing the thing he loved best.
He was preceded in death by older sisters, Simone and Denise; and older brothers, Charlie and Jaques.
Survivors include four sons; and six grandchildren. H5
Albert was born in Casablanca, Morocco, to the late Moses and Solia Cohen Abitol. His adolescence in Morocco came at a dangerous time for the Jewish population residing there, and the specter of Nazi occupation, as well as the eventual occupation of Morocco by American soldiers, left an indelible mark on Albert’s consciousness – transforming him into the person he was.
One of his favorite stories was how he would visit the American soldiers during the occupation and ask for chocolate and other treats, and he would tell them that "he wanted to be just like them when he grew up." After the end of World War II, conditions for the Jews of Morocco worsened, and Albert along with his brothers became leader cell leaders in the underground resistance movement in Morocco. Their efforts were instrumental in helping the emigration of Jews from Morocco after the creation of Israel.
Characteristic of his independent-mindedness and passion for travel, Albert did not choose to live in Israel with the rest of his family and instead explored Europe. During his travels in Germany, Albert met his first wife Elke, and together they had three children Stefan, Michael, and Richard Abitbol. Understanding that he needed a way to provide for his first family, they immigrated to the United States and Albert enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 25.
Albert was truly a citizen of the world, and he fluently spoke and wrote Hebrew, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English. He loved traveling overseas, cooking foreign cuisines, and greeting strangers of any nationality wherever he went. In fact, Albert had an uncommon knack for placing the exact place of origin of any immigrant he met from Europe and Africa simply based on their accent and in the hundreds of times it was witnessed, he was never incorrect.
While Albert may have been a citizen of the world, America was truly the country he loved and he would certainly be sure to let anyone know that. He served 20 distinguished years in the Army and retired at the rank of Sergeant First Class in 1980. During his time in the army, he served at many critical European posts during the Cold War, as well as participating in more clandestine operations in the Congo on two occasions.
After his time in the military, Albert resumed his world travels where he eventually met his second wife, Maria del-Carmen. They had one son, Aldo Abitbol. During his retirement, Albert created a real estate business to support his family and to teach his new son the values of hard work and education.
Unfortunately, Albert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around 2011, and soon his traveling days were behind him. Despite the increasing difficulties of the disease in his life, he managed to make one final trip overseas, visiting Spain in 2013 where he had a great time doing the thing he loved best.
He was preceded in death by older sisters, Simone and Denise; and older brothers, Charlie and Jaques.
Survivors include four sons; and six grandchildren. H5
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