William Bettencourt

William
”
Bill
”
Bettencourt died after congestive heart failure Friday, Feb. 20,
2004 at St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy. He was 92.
William Bettencourt

William “Bill” Bettencourt died after congestive heart failure Friday, Feb. 20, 2004 at St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy. He was 92.

Mr. Bettencourt was born and raised in Gilroy and he worked at his family’s dairy as a young man.

He was an Army veteran of World War II as a master tech sergeant serving in Buchenwald, Germany in the 333 Engineers and Paris, France.

Mr. Bettencourt married his late wife, Dell, in 1948 in Reno, Nev.

He owned and operated Bettencourt Bros. dairy with his brother A.V. for five years in Los Banos. He then moved to Gilroy and worked at BeGe Manufacturing. He then worked for Toscano Ford in Los Banos as a mechanic before working at Western Tile in Gilroy until retiring in 1965.

He was a charter and lifelong member of the VFW and the American Legion, both in Gilroy, 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; father of Patti Bettencourt of Gilroy.

He was the 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 and Marion Fewel.

He was the godfather of Steve Lemos of Belmont, Calif., Sandee Senior of Bakersfield, and Carol Lynn Barcellos of San Jose; brother-in-law of Carroll K. Hurd of Gilroy and Marge Monteiro of Salinas. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A rosary will be held Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at Habing Family Funeral Home in Gilroy. Funeral services will begin Thursday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. at the funeral home then will proceed to St. Mary’s Church for Mass at 10 a.m.

Entombment will follow at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park in Gilroy.