Funeral Mass for retired Colonel William J. Furtado, 75, Lawton, will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with Rev. Brian E. Buettner, Pastor officiating.

Burial with full military honors will follow at the Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, under direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

A Rosary will be held at 6:00 pm Tuesday in Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel.

Colonel (Retired) William J. Furtado passed away on Wednesday, October 26, 2016. He was born February 20, 1941, in Lowell, Massachusetts. He graduated from Keith Academy in 1958, Boston College in 1962 with a BS in Education (History and Government), and Shippensburg State University with a MS in Public Administration. He received a commission through the Boston College ROTC program as a 2LT in the US Army Field Artillery. He entered active duty November 1962 at Ft Sill and began his 26 year career in the US Army. He married Yvette T. Cote on November 21, 1964 in Lowell MA.

Some of his major assignments included: Battery Command at Ft Sill, Germany and Viet Nam; Battalion Command, 2nd Bn 8th FA, 7th Inf Div, Ft Ord CA; Commander and President, US Army Field Artillery Board; and several staff assignments in CONUS and overseas. Overseas assignments included Germany, Vietnam, and Korea. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer's Basic Course; The Field Artillery Advanced Course; The Armed Forces Staff College and the US Army war College. Among his decorations are the Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with "V" device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star.

Upon retirement from the Army in 1988, he became the Regional Manager for Martin Marietta Corporation, (later Lockheed Martin Corporation) and retired in 1998. He then took a position as a consultant for General Dynamics Corporation and Systems and Electronics Corporation (Now DRS) and fully retired in Dec 2010. COL Furtado was a member of the Knights of Columbus (Fourth Degree), Council 1287. He served as President of the Ft Sill Fish and Wildlife Council, a member of the Board of Directors for the Armed Service YMCA and the Southwest Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). He additionally served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the US Army Field Artillery Association. He was also a member of the Military Order of World Wars, AUSA, VFW and American Legion. COL Furtado was active in Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and Family Promise.

Survivors include the wife of the home, three daughters and a son-in-law: Mary Ann Morrow, Marina CA; Nancy Stepp and her husband Steven Stepp, Colorado Springs,CO; Susan Furtado, Lawton, OK; two brothers: Thomas Furtado and wife Lucille, Port St. Lucie, FL and Francis Furtado, Portsmouth, RI; four grandchildren: Sabina Percell, La Mesa, CA; Katie Ryan, Castle Rock, CO; Spencer Stepp, Colorado Springs, CO and Andrew Stepp, Colorado Springs, CO; and one great grandson: Jason Ray, Marina CA.

He was preceded in death by his Parents, Dominick and Julia Furtado . Memorial contributions may be made to the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Lawton OK, Armed Services YMCA or MOAA Scholarship Program.