Alfonso Hector Urena

Alfonso "Al" Urena, born on August 10, 1932, in Miami, Arizona, was the first of nine children born to his parents, Celia and Jose Urena. His siblings called him "Sonny." 

He enlisted in the National Guard in January 1951 and was assigned to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Texas where he performed and arranged monthly shows for troops on the base to boost morale. He was later transferred to Ontario, California where he completed his service. Al subsequently enrolled at Claremont Men’s College and received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Public Administration. While in California, he met his wife, Marilyn. Al and Marilyn married in Ponoma, California on February 4, 1955 and later moved back to Marilyn’s hometown of Galesburg, Illinois where they raised their two children, Jon and Zoe.

Al was a prominent, long-time member and leader within the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks- Galesburg lodge. He was widely recognized for his community service and leadership within the organization, notably serving as the Exalted Ruler and spearheading various projects, including the local Dictionary Project. After learning about the program from another lodge, Al coordinated a partnership with a Galesburg school district to distribute free dictionaries to third graders- a community initiative that has been running for over two decades. Upon moving to Indianapolis in 2017, Al promptly became involved with the Noblesville Elks chapter. Al made new friends and connections within the Noblesville lodge and ultimately recruited his grandson to join. He remained a dedicated member, supported children and veterans throughout Indiana in community service endeavors, religiously attended the Elks National Conventions and even volunteered as the Easter Bunny during a recent Elks Easter celebration. 

Although he cherished his time with his Elks community, what he loved most was spending time with his family. He looked forward to weekly brunches at his daughter’s house and loved playing with his great grandchildren, reading, and showing off his coin collection. He also loved his annual trips to California, typically around his birthday and Christmas time, when he spent time with his siblings, nieces and nephews and enjoyed at least one day at Disney Land. He also loved watching sports on television and meticulously tracking wins and losses by hand during March Madness. He was intelligent and direct. He was a man of principle and routine.

Al is survived by his children, Jon Urena (Terri), and Zoe Weiss; four grandchildren, Miranda Bernadac (Olivier), Reva Weiss (Patrick), Alexandra Weiss (Seth) and Martin Weiss (Molly); and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers, Paul and Lorenzo; sisters, Ofelia and Sally Ann; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn; his son-in-law, Zeff Weiss; significant other, Constance (Connie) Leath; his siblings, Jose, Yolanda, David, and Ruby; and his parents, Jose Maria Urena and Celia (Gutierrez).

A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by a funeral service at Aaron Ruben Nelson Mortuary, 11411 N. Michigan Road, Zionsville, IN 46077. Entombment will follow immediately thereafter at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens - Washington Park Cemetery, 9700 Allisonville Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46250.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Elks National Foundation, 2750 N. Lakeview Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614-2256.