Alphonse Francis Gion, age 96, passed away on May 26, 2016, at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg, WI. Alphonse was born on Sunday, 6:00 a.m., 25 April 1920, on the homestead farm of his parents, Michael and Margaret (Kilzer) Gion, near Regent, ND.

At age six he began his education at Cherry Butte consolidated school, a few miles from the farm. Upon graduation in 1933, he attended Assumption Abbey, a monastery/seminary high school at Richardton, ND. Upon completion he chose not to become a monk, but returned to the farm until he was drafted into the Army in February 1942.

Soon after completing basic training he was selected to attend Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, OK, from which he was commissioned in October 1942. Having a German language skill, he was sent to Military Intelligence School, Camp Ritchie, MD, where he completed a course in Prisoner of War Interrogation and German Order of Battle. He was then assigned to a post in England, where he completed parachute training in preparation for service as commanding officer of a prisoner of war interrogation unit with the 101st Airborne Division in the Normandy (D-Day) Invasion, and later the Holland invasion and the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne.

Upon separation from the service in January 1946, he completed studies at UW-Madison for a BA degree in Political Science. On 17 September 1949, he spoke marriage vows with Rosemary Doyle of Belleville, WI. He was recalled to active duty in June 1950, accompanied by his bride to do duty at the Army Intelligence School at Fort Riley, Kansas. It was there that their first son, Brendan Michael, was born on 26 July 1952. Soon thereafter, Captain Gion, accompanied by Rosemary and Brendan, was assigned to serve as Executive Officer of a Strategic Intelligence Unit at 7th Army Headquarters near Stuttgart, Germany.

After completion of his tour of duty in July 1954, he returned to UW-Madison to complete his MA degree. Subsequently, he served in various operational and administrative roles with the Wisconsin State and federal public programs for the furtherance of civil rights and equal opportunity. A second son, Gregory Gaffney, was born to the Gions' on 14 October 1956, at Madison.

Mr. Gion remained active in the reserves until 1974 when he retired with the rank of Colonel. He retired from the federal civil service in June 1979, and returned from Chicago to Madison, Rosemary's and his favorite spot. For many years they engaged in favorite hobbies, and most of all in caregiving to Rosemary's mother, Rose (Gaffney) Doyle, and their son, Brendan, who has multiple sclerosis.

Alphonse was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Rosemary (Doyle) Gion; brothers, Joseph, Victor and August; and sisters, Anna (Joseph) Link, Hilda (Robert) Martin and Helen (Jerry) Colling.

He is survived by sons, Brendan, and Gregory, wife, Therese (Cronin) Gion; grandchildren, Alexander and Anna; as well as his sisters, Ethel Gion of Madison and Hermine (Lee) Martin of Denver.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 338 S. Harrison St., Belleville, WI, with the Rev. Michael Moon officiating with committal of cremains in the St. James Cemetery.

Visitation preceded the Mass from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Belleville.

The Becker-Beal Funeral Home of Belleville is assisting the family.

An online memorial with guestbook is available at http://www.bealfuneralhomes.com.