Manuel Botelho

BOTELHO, Manuel, age 99 of Beavercreek, Ohio, passed away on Friday, April 11, 2014. He was born in Fall River Massachusetts to Marcos and Maria (Oliveira) Botelho. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 67 years, Alice Botelho and daughter, Joanna Compy. He is survived by his daughter and son in-law, Elizabeth and Kevin Allen; grandchildren, Natalie Allen, Chris, Greg and Nick Compy; 12 great-grandchildren including, Kiernan and Thorin Compy. After graduating from High School he went for one year to the RCA Institute in Boston where he learned radio communications. He took the commercial radiotelegraph and the ham radio test and later worked for the Radio Intelligence Division (part of the FCC).During WWII he served in the United States Merchant Marine as a radio operator aboard the George Hawley. He was awarded the Merchant Marine Emblem, Atlantic War Zone Bar and Combat Bar with Stars. He was an avid ham radio operator and a member of the Quarter Century Wireless Association and Society of Wireless Pioneers Life Member and the Veteran Wireless Operators Association. He was fluent in multiple languages and after the war worked with the government in intelligence & communications. He was stationed in Okinawa, Cyprus and then to the DC area where he lived until 2001. He and his wife then moved to Ohio to be near his daughter and her family. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 21, 2014 at St. Luke Catholic Church, 1440 N. Fairfield Rd. Fr. Terry Schneider celebrant. His family will receive friends at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services on Monday, April 21. Interment will be at Arlington Cemetery at a later date. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.tobiasfuneralhome.com.