WWII Bronze Star Veteran, Joseph Gomes, of Riverside, Dies at 102

WWII Bronze Star Veteran, Joseph Gomes, of Riverside, Dies at 102

Gomes, Joseph, 102, of Temple Drive, Riverside, died peacefully on February 10, 2022 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Madeline C. (Leal) Gomes.

Born in Bristol, a son of the late Basilio and Maria (Albuquerque) Gomes, he lived in Riverside since 1956.

Mr. Gomes was a mechanic for the former New England Telephone Co. for 17 years before retiring in 1987.

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Joseph was a communicant of St. Brendan Church where he was a former scoutmaster overseeing 100 scouts and 13 eagle scouts. He was a member and past president of the Silver Spring Golf Course where he scored 5 hole-in-ones. He was also a member of the Healthtrax Wellness Center, East Providence where he and his wife exercised daily. He was inducted into the Fox Point Soccer Hall of Fame. A sports enthusiast, he was a devoted New York Yankees Fan.

Mr. Gomes was a United States Army Veteran serving during WWII where he was a member of the 515th Army Airborne paratrooper division, assigned to the 101st in France. He was the recipient of a Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Rifleman’s Badge.

Besides his wife of seventy-five years, he is survived by a son, Michael A. Gomes of Bristol; a daughter, Susan Gomes Foley and her husband Stephen of Long Beach, CA; two grandchildren, Michael K. Gomes of Tiverton and Jason L. Gomes of Mapleville, RI and five great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 in St. Brendan Church, Turner Avenue, Riverside at 10 a.m. A Private Burial with Military Honors will follow in the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Calling hours and flowers are respectfully omitted.