Antonio Tabares, Emporia
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The Rev. Pete O’Sullivan will be the celebrant. Burial, with military graveside honors by American Legion Ball-McColm Post 5 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Lowry-Funston Post 1980, will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday at the church.
Memorial contributions to American Legion Post 5 may be sent in care of the Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box 175, Emporia, KS 66801.
Mr. Tabares died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, at Newman Regional Health. He was 88.
He was a supervisor at IBP in Emporia for 15 years before he retired 25 years ago. In honor of his retirement, Tyson Foods created the Tony Tabares Diversity Scholarship. Mr. Tabares was one of the founders of the Mexican-American Club in Emporia and was instrumental in the development of Las Casitas Park.
He was in the Army Air Corps during World War II, serving as an aircraft mechanic stationed at Bakersfield, Calif.
The son of Rufino and Ygnacia Luna Tabares, he was born May 10, 1919, at Emporia. He married Carmen Torres on March 10, 1942, at Emporia. She survives.
Mr. Tabares was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He was a member of American Legion Post 5 and the Lyon County Democrats.
He is also survived by five sons, Edward Tabares, James Tabares and Arthur Tabares, all of Emporia, Tony P. Tabares of Chanute and Jeff Tabares of Wichita; one daughter, Veronica Tabares Granado of Emporia; 27 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. A son, Robert Tabares, and a daughter, Patricia Tabares Mendoza, died earlier. Two brothers and two sisters also died earlier.