National Guardsman, marksman, engineer, loved woodworking and the Fourth

John Borges, Jr., 81, of Chesapeake, Va.

Posted 10/17/17

John Borges, Jr., 81, of Chesapeake, Va., (formerly of Bristol) died peacefully on Sept. 15. Born on July 28, 1936, and raised in Bristol, he was the beloved son of the late John and Anna (Castro) …

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National Guardsman, marksman, engineer, loved woodworking and the Fourth

John Borges, Jr., 81, of Chesapeake, Va.

Posted

John Borges, Jr., 81, of Chesapeake, Va., (formerly of Bristol) died peacefully on Sept. 15. Born on July 28, 1936, and raised in Bristol, he was the beloved son of the late John and Anna (Castro) Borges.

A graduate of Colt Memorial High School’s Class of 1956, he enlisted in the Rhode Island Army National Guard in 1955 and served until 1967. During his military career, he attended service schools at Fort Bliss, Texas, pertaining to maintenance on the Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules missile systems. He was a proficient marksman (carbine M1 rifle) as well as being a qualified fire control mechanic and air defense systems missile man.

In his professional career, Mr. Borges worked as a field engineer for Raytheon (Portsmouth, R.I., Norfolk, Va.), and as a communications installation technician for Mancon (Virginia Beach) and Dataline (Norfolk).

John was an avid New England Patriots fan and enjoyed woodworking, travel, 1950s music and British sitcoms.

His favorite holiday was the Fourth of July and he attended Bristol's annual Fourth of July festivities (the parade in particular), as he always loved being in his hometown on this day and spending time with family.

He is survived by his wife, Susan L. Borges of Chesapeake; sister, Barbara Dias of Bristol; sons, John III (fiancé Julie Power) of Bristol, and James (wife Renée) of Taunton, Mass.; daughter, Wendy Sheridan (husband Alan) of Bristol; granddaughters Amanda, Kelsey and Lindsey Borges; grandson, Brandon Sheridan; step-daughters, Sharla Godfrey, Angela Godfrey, Wendy Stedman and Brandy San Agustin; stepsons, Mark Godfrey and Scott Snow; step-granddaughters Cailey Dawson, Ashley May, Megan Stephens, Makenzie Stedman and Sophia San Agustin; step-grandson Ian Godfrey, all of Chesapeake, Va., and Rock, W.V.; and beloved nieces, nephews and cousins from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 11:15 am. Family and friends are invited to a memorial service at Independence Park (weather permitting) with a gathering immediately following at the Hope Diner.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory can be made to the Bristol 4th of July Committee: P.O. Box 561, Bristol, RI 02809.

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