BRIDGEWATER - John "Lunny" Raposa, 90, of Bridgewater died Wednesday at New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton after a brief illness. He was the husband of Jane (Anderson) Raposa. They recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary.
Born in Raynham on Dec. 18, 1913, he was the son of the late John and Aurora (Souza) Raposa.
Educated in East Taunton, Mr. Raposa worked at a young age in the Corcoran Shoe Factory of Stoughton.
In 1933, responding to a call from President Roosevelt, he enlisted in the Youth Conservation Corps and served nearly two years on construction projects in South Lee, Mass.
In March of 1941, Mr. Raposa was sworn in to the U.S. Army.
Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he participated in the first amphibious landing of U.S. troops in North Africa as a member of the 45th infantry division.
He later survived the Battle of Monte Casino and saw the liberation of Rome. From there, he landed in Marseilles, France and participated in the push toward Germany.
In 1945, at the conclusion of World War II, Mr. Raposa saw the liberation of several Nazi concentration camps and the beginning of the Nuremberg trial process.
Returning in October 1945, he began a career with the Worthmore Grain Company in Bridgewater.
He retired for the first time in 1978, but shortly thereafter took a position with the maintenance department at Stonehill College, retiring in 1985.
Mr. Raposa was a member of the Bridgewater American Legion Post, the Knights of Columbus, and a parishioner of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Bridgewater.
After his second retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his family and playing golf and was also an avid member of the Acorn Run Bocce Club of Bridgewater.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Janet (Raposa) Proulx of Belleair Beach, Fla.; two sisters, Adeline Righini of Staples, Minn., and Helen Chamberland of East Taunton and many nieces and nephews. He was brother to the late Mary, Charles and Joseph Raposa.
His funeral will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday from the Prophett Funeral Home, 98 Bedford St. (Rte. 18), Bridgewater, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 9 in St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Center Street, Bridgewater. Visiting hours Friday 5-7:30 p.m. Burial will be in St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Bridgewater Knights of Columbus Building Fund.