Hectór E. Colón

Héctor Edelmiro Colón, of Moline, Illinois, a Puerto Rican American patriot, died Sunday,
May 13, 2018, at Senior Star, Davenport, Iowa.

Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, and burial will be in Rock Island National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Those wish to attend should meet at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline at 12:15 p.m. A hospitality gathering with food and beverages will follow at CityView Celebrations at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline, from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday. Memorials may be made to Moline Public Library.

Héctor was born at home on April 10, 1940, in the mountain town of Peñuelas, Puerto Rico, to Edelmiro Colón and Carmen Colón Lugo. Héctor moved to Chicago with his family in 1950 and graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He married Margaret Clark in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 1, 1968, and they began a 50-year journey together.

Héctor had many 'talents'. He could wiggle his ears, peel an orange into one long continuous strip, knot a cherry stem into a knot using only his tongue and, of course, dance for hours. His passions were golf and bowling and his collection of hundreds of Spanish language LP's and CD's. For many years he hosted a Sunday afternoon radio show featuring his 'oldies' on KALA, St. Ambrose College.

Héctor graduated from Officer Candidate School, Ft. Benning, Georgia, and went on to proudly serve his country in Viet Nam. On January 5, 1968, his platoon of 32 men came under attack from 400 enemy fighters. Héctor led his brave men in battle in which seven of them were killed and many were wounded. For his bravery and dedication to duty, Héctor received the Distinguished Service Cross, the United States Army's second highest award for valor. He was inducted into the Office Candidate School Hall of Fame on May 8, 2017.

Upon returning to civilian life, Héctor began a 35-year career of Government service. He retired from the Rock Island Arsenal in 2005

He is survived by his wife Margaret, sons Michael and David, and grandson Sam. Others who will fondly remember him include his brother Javiel (Nina), sister-in law Almeda Arcos(Rene), niece Joanne McKay (Patrick) and nephew Nikolay Arcos, and many cousins in Puerto Rico, including his 'prima hermana' Keiri Fornés-Lugo.

The family is very grateful to both Senior Star-Elmore Memory Care and Genesis Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care, and invites friends to share stories and condolences at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.