Milton G. Ignatz

Milton George Ignatz passed away on the evening of Sunday, May 11, 2025 at home in Oklahoma City. Milton was born in Buffalo, New York on August 19, 1942 to Milton George Ignatz and Elsie Florence (Pollinger) Ignatz, the second of 6 children. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York. They didn’t have a lot, but he remembered milking the cows in the morning and taking the milk to a neighbor to be made into cheese. He’d come back with whey to feed the pigs. Eventually, his father lost that farm and began painting houses. His father never finished high school, and his mother only made it to 7th grade. But Sonny, as they called him, though very shy, was good in school and even excelled in math. He was also athletic and ran track all four years of high school. He never thought he would go to college, but he earned a full scholarship to attend the Jesuit school, Canisius College, where he participated in the Science Club, the Glee Club and the Varsity Rifle team. After graduating in 1964, he started working on his Masters in Physics Education at State University of New York (SUNY) while teaching high school Physics. In 1970, he went to Florida State University (FSU) to work on his Ph.D. There he met a beautiful and confident Filipina, Milagros, who was finishing up her own Ph.D, also in Math and Science Education. She, too, was strong in her faith, had a passion for science and teaching, and shared his love for classical music and musicals. They were married on June 3, 1972 in Tallahassee, Florida.

Their son was born in 1973. Having long disliked his own name, he named his son, Mark. After earning his Ph.D., Milt became a professor at Florida A&M University (FAMU), a historically black college. Without being given an adequate textbook to teach his classes, he decided to write his own, and for the next several years, Physics for non-science majors was taught at FAMU using his own published textbook. They used the proceeds of the textbook sales to create a scholarship fund for physics students.

After their daughters, Eileen and Marie, were born, they moved outside of the city to a small country home where Milt could hunt and Mila could garden. They planted a grape vineyard and lots of fruit trees. He loved hunting and always had a freezer full of turkey or venison, squirrel and rabbit. Milt didn’t cook much, but he had some great game recipes that his children often asked him to make—some he’d even prepare with his own homemade wine. He regularly made wine from elderberries, muscadine grapes, pears, crabapples, and any other fruits that grew on their property. As their family grew and the little three-bedroom house with only one bathroom started to feel crowded, he recruited a friend to help him remodel the family room and build a new master bedroom, bathroom and hallway, turning the L-shaped house into a proper rectangle with beautiful hardwood floors throughout. The two of them did the plumbing, electrical, roofing—everything. When the project was complete, it was beautiful, and he used the remaining lumber to build the most magnificent tree house for his three children, complete with a solid wood floor, walls, roof, windows, and steps to climb up.

Aside from being a great carpenter, he could fix anything. He was a man of many talents and was often seen tinkering with a car or tractor, welding, and working in his shop with his tools. He enjoyed gunsmithing and would customize guns to the point where many gun enthusiasts admired his craftsmanship. For instance, he handcrafted a break action pistol chambered for a .223 rifle round complete with a scope specifically to use when he hunted turkeys. He also was an avid reader with a love of history and the classics, and he spent a lot of time in prayer, frequently bringing his Bible up to his deer stand. He spent many hours practicing his classical guitar, providing his children with cherished memories of waking up and going to bed to the sound of the guitar.

Even while living in Florida, he stayed very close to his family in New York, making an annual road trip to see family. Eventually, he and his step-father bought a property near Attica, New York, where the whole family came together to build a cabin with a pond. To this day, the cabin is used for hunting, family reunions, gatherings and retreats.

Milton loved his small parish church where he served as Eucharistic Minister for many years. Even though he was one of the first to arrive at church to pray the rosary before Mass, he was still one of the last to leave, always conversing with the other parishioners. His shyness didn’t affect him as much around fellow parishioners or colleagues—they all loved him for his friendliness, his gentleness, his sense of humor, and his willingness to help others. Milton continued to teach and develop the physics program at FAMU for many years, often hosting Physics Department picnics at his home. He even created a physics class for Music majors. He was well respected by his coworkers and students alike; they all remembered him practicing his guitar while waiting for students to come visit him during his office hours. He never missed a day of work until, eventually, he had a stroke in 2003.

Over the next twenty years, his health continued to decline. In 2019, as dementia made independent living difficult for him and Mila, they left their Florida home and moved to Oklahoma to live with their daughter, Eileen. He still enjoyed being able to spend time with his wife and family, taking walks, going to church, and continuing his hobbies as much as he was able.

Though he had a difficult time expressing himself verbally, his family and friends knew how much they were loved by his sacrifices and his genuine hugs. Having come from a humble background, Milton placed so much emphasis on faith, a good education and the arts to ensure that his children and grandchildren were also deeply rooted in faith, education and the arts. His legacy as a hard-working, honest and generous man who loved God and his family will benefit all of his descendants. He will be remembered always for his integrity, warmth, talents, and the many lives he touched.

He is survived by his wife of almost 53 years, Milagros, his children: Mark Ignatz, Eileen de Coune and Marie Thompson, sons-in-law, Charles de Coune and Adam Thompson, and his eleven grandchildren: Chloé, Christian and Maximilien de Coune; Heather (Ashtyn), Laurel and Barrett Ignatz; and Anthony, Chiara, Dominic, Gabriel and Caleb Thompson—each of whom he cherished dearly. Also surviving him are his brothers, Gerry Ignatz and Paul Ignatz, and his sisters, Dianne Bruggman, Lenore Shapiro and Carol LaVigne.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 22nd at 2:00 p.m. Burial and a celebration of life will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the FAMU “Physics-Ignatz Scholarship Fund.”