Gilroy native William
“Bill” Bettencourt died after congestive heart failure on
Friday, Feb. 20, at Saint Louise Hospital, Gilroy. He was 92 years
old.
Gilroy native William “Bill” Bettencourt died after congestive heart failure on Friday, Feb. 20, at Saint Louise Hospital, Gilroy. He was 92 years old.
Bill was born and raised in Gilroy. He worked on his family dairy as a young man. He was an Army veteran of World War II as a master tech sergeant serving in Buchenwald, Germany, and Normandy, France, in the 279 Engineers. He married his late wife, Dell, in 1946 in Reno, Nev. He owned and operated Bettencourt Bros. dairy with his brother, A.V. for five years in Los Banos. He moved to Gilroy working at BeGe Manufacturing. He then worked for Toscano Ford in Los Banos as a mechanic before working at Western Tile, Gilroy, until retiring in 1965. He was a charter and life-long member of the VFW and the American Legion, both in Gilroy, member of Native Sons of the Golden West, past Gilroy Elks, I.F.D.E.S., Our Lady of Fatima and the ECV “Clampers.”
He was the loving husband of the late Dell Bettencourt; loving father of Patti Bettencourt of Gilroy; son of the late Joseph and Marian Bettencourt; brother of A.V. Bettencourt and his wife Fritz of Los Banos, Mina Slentz and her husband Harold of Hayward, Josephine Palage and her late husband Nick of Grants Pass, Ore., Karl Bettencourt and his wife Eileen of Roseville, and the late Manuel J. Bettencourt, Joe V. Bettencourt, Marion Fewel and John Bettencourt; loving stepfather of Shirley Brem and her husband Dick of Madera; loving stepgrandfather of Mike Brem and his wife Tina of Turlock, Nancy Lomanto and her husband Nick of Hollister, Jim Brem and his wife Pam of Strathmore; loving stepgreat-grandfather of Jason Brem, Jeff Brem, Jeff Brem, Ryan Bergamini, Kyle Brem and Tyson Brem; godfather of Steve Lemos of Belmont, Sandee Senior of Bakersfield and Carol Lynn Barcellos of San Jose; and brother-in-law of Carroll K. Hurd of Gilroy and Marge Monteiro of Salinas. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Vigil Service will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Habing Family Funeral Home, Gilroy. Services will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. at the funeral home followed by Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Mary Church. Entombment will follow at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park, Gilroy.
