John E. Turco Sr., 77, of Sunnyvale, Calif., formerly a native and longtime resident of Franklin, died Monday, July 28, 2008, at El Camino Hospital following a long illness. He was the husband of Frances E. (Heaphy) Turco for 50 years.
Born in Franklin, in July 1931, a son of the late Michael and Clotilda (Giancola) Turco, he had lived in California for most of his life.
He was a 1949 graduate of Franklin High School and a 1954 graduate of Boston College.
He had served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, and attained the rank of first lieutenant.
Upon leaving the service, he was employed by Pan American World Airways as an operations manager at several Atlantic Missile Range tracking stations in the Bahamas and West Indies In 1961, he accepted a position with Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, and remained with them for 32 years. He retired in 1993.
In his retirement, John became the first president of the church of the Resurrection/St. Vincent dePaul Society. John was a loving and honorable man who will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, John Turco Jr., Michael Turco and his wife, Jennifer; two daughters, Catherine and Rosemary; three sisters, Mary Zicko and her husband, William of Natick, Rose Turco of Franklin, Pauline Medeiros and her husband, Frank, of Medfield; a brother-in-law, William Heaphy and his wife, Juanita; and three grandchildren.
His funeral and burial will take place in California on Monday, Aug. 4.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his memorial Mass on Sunday October 19, 2008 at 10:30AM in St. Mary's Church 1 Church Sq. Franklin.
Donations in his memory sent to the St. Vincent dePaul Society, c/o Church of the Resurrection, 725 Cascade Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087, would be appreciated.
Local arrangements are under the direction of the Charles F. Oteri & Son Franklin Funeral Home, 33 Cottage St., Franklin. www.franklinfuneral.com