Poughkeepsie sailor: Corey Ingram wake and funeral scheduled this week
Jack HowlandArea residents will be able to say goodbye to a fallen hero today.
A public wake for Corey Ingram, the Poughkeepsie sailor who died following the Aug. 21 collision of the USS John McCain, is scheduled to take place today, Monday, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 170 in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
There's no agenda for the day, and attendees will be able to have a private moment with Ingram’s casket.
On Tuesday, an additional hour-long visitation will be held at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. funeral service.
SERVICES: Services for Poughkeepsie sailor Corey Ingram set for Monday, Tuesday
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Organizers expect thousands to show up to both Monday and Tuesday services, and police warn there will likely be traffic congestion in surrounding areas. Ingram grew up in Poughkeepsie and attended Poughkeepsie High School.
“A lot of people in the community knew Corey,” said funeral director Timothy Doyle of Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home. “We’ve already met with police agencies and they’re going to be able to help us handle the number of people we expect.”
Ingram was one of 10 sailors who died after the USS John McCain accident, in which the U.S. Navy warship collided with a 600-foot tanker off the coast of Malaysia.
His body was scheduled to arrive at Stewart International Airport Saturday at around 4 p.m. on a flight from Dover Air Force Base. Navy personnel and Ingram’s family planned to honor him with a “dignified transfer,” carrying his casket off the plane, as well as a private ceremony.
After the funeral Tuesday, a processional led by officers from various police agencies will guide Ingram’s family, friends and Navy comrades to Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, where he will be buried.
City police advise motorists to avoid the area surrounding the V.F.W. on Violet Avenue today, including roadways like North Clinton Street, Parker Avenue, Route 9G and Pendell Road. Police Capt. Richard Wilson said there will be “road closures as necessary” depending on the traffic.
That goes for the Tuesday funeral, too, he said, noting that there could be “limited access” to portions of Main Street, Market Street and the Arterial. He recommended people avoid a roughly four-block radius around the Civic Center during the funeral.
Jack Howland: jhowland@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4870, Twitter: @jhowl04