Augie T. Ong

Augie Thomas Ong passed away of natural causes on January 22, 2019 in San Diego. Augie was born on March 3, 1924 in San Francisco, California to Fong Shee and Ngooey Lin Ong. The third of eight children including two girls and 6 boys, Augie grew up working in the family mom and pop, neighborhood grocery business in Pittsburg, California. Augie was an excellent student and in 1942 graduated from Pittsburg High School as valedictorian and school president and won numerous trophies for wrestling. He was also an Eagle Scout with the largest number of merit badges in the nation. The family moved shortly thereafter to Oakland, California and established a new grocery business there.

With World War II underway, Augie immediately enlisted in the Army-Air Force Air Core. From 1942-1944, Augie pursued studies in pilot training in South Carolina, Georgia and Texas learning to pilot PT-17, BT-18, AT-6, P-40, and P-51 aircraft. He married Nancy Jane Bauer of Oakland, California during this period. He graduated from flight school in 1944 and was deployed to Clark Air Force Base in Manila, The Philippines as a flight training instructor during the last year of WWII in the Pacific theater.

After the war, Augie attended the University of California, Berkeley and obtained a BS in business administration and became an insurance agent after graduation. In 1950, he was recalled to service and became a career officer in the US Air Force serving at Joint Command Headquarters for the Pacific in Tokyo, Japan, Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Hamilton Air Force Base, in Marin, California, and as an instructor of ROTC at University of California, Berkeley.

Augie obtained an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley in 1962 and worked again at Hamilton Air Force Base in the Air Defense Command for the Pacific where he wrote the Air Defense Master Plan. In 1964, Augie was deployed to Bangkok, Thailand where he advised the Royal Thai Airforce and later became the protocol officer for the US Military Assistance Command. He organized the visit of President Lyndon Johnson as well as many diplomats, congressmen, high level commanding officers, and celebrities with the Royal Thai family and other Thai dignitaries. The Thai government awarded Augie an engraved silver box for his excellent service. Lionel Hampton asked him to join his team due to his outstanding advice. From 1967-1972 Augie served in legislative liaison and as an assistant to the Inspector General of the Air Force at the Pentagon. Augie voluntarily retired as a full colonel in 1972 with over 6000 hours of flying time in propeller and jet fighter aircraft, and received “The Legion of Merit” for his “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services” from the Secretary of the Air Force. He relocated back home in Oakland, California to spend time playing his favorite pastime golf and with his daughter Sally Ong.

Augie soon moved to San Diego to be able to play golf in a more temperate climate year round. He joined the Escondido, Oaks North and Rancho Bernardo County Clubs and made many golf buddies. He married Rosalie Edna Parque, who became his best golf buddy and fellow traveler in life. They traveled the world together and Augie and Rosalie won a number of golf tournaments playing doubles.

Augie successfully organized and ran the Oaks North and Rancho Bernardo country clubs’ annual golf tournaments for many years using his well-honed, protocol officer skills. In 2012 he received a certificate of appreciation and thanks from Oaks North Golf Club in “honor of his extended duty and exceptional performance as a club championship director.”

Augie’s golf handicap was 10 on average throughout his golf career. Over this period, he shot 10 holes in one! Augie was known for his keen eye that easily discerned how to correct a golfer’s stance and swing in one training session. He helped many people improve their stroke. Augie was also known by his family and friends for often being a stubborn, grumpy old man. Augie is succeeded by his only daughter Sally Ann Ong Leong and her daughter Sasha Busjahn and his two step children Nancy Barbara Amo and husband Douglas, and their children Jenna Amo, Evan Amo, and Alex Amo; David Arthur Parque and wife Nancy and children Nicholas Parque and Thomas Parque. He was preceded in death by his first wife Nancy Ong and last wife and step children’s mother Rosalie Ong.

Memorial services will be held at 12 noon sharp on March 1, 2019 at Riverside National Cemetery, Staging Area #1, 22495 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, CA 92518. A luncheon will follow a 1 PM. Donations to Honor Flight in lieu of flowers are preferred.