Obituary: Antonio M. “Tony” Molina

Services for Antonio M. “Tony” Molina, 67, LaCrosse, Wis., will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Tonganoxie, where a rosary will be said at 9:30 a.m. His body was cremated.

Mr. Molina died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002, at Gundersen Medical Center in LaCrosse.

Mr. Molina was born July 11, 1935, the son of Antonio J. and Pilar (Siauinco) Molina.

He married Elaine Sanderson on May 29, 1971, in Kansas City, Kan. She died on March 4, 1990.

Mr. Molina graduated from the University of Kansas with a doctorate of music with honors on May 22, 1978.

In the late 1960s, while working toward his degree at KU, he formed an ecumenical chorus of 14- to 19-year-old students in Tonganoxie called The Young Christian Minstrels.

In 1972, he was a music instructor at St. Mary College in Leavenworth. During that time, he composed and directed the St. Mary College Community Orchestra. He taught at Shippensburg State College in Pennsylvania for the 1977-79 school year.

He then was offered a position at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse as professor of music and choral director.

He taught there for 14 years, retiring May 26, 1992. He had written numerous music arrangements and songs that had been copyrighted and published.

Survivors include two sisters, Rose Maglunog, San Francisco, and Monserrat (Maximino) Bejar, Manila, Philippines; and a brother Lito Exequel (Josea) Molina, Manila, Philippines.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s building fund, sent in care of Quisenberry Funeral Home, P.O. Box 993, Tonganoxie, 66086.