Gabriel “Bill” Augusta July 26, 1922 - June 15, 2019

Haverhill – Gabriel “Bill” Augusta, 96 passed away June 15, 2019 at Hannah Duston Rehab. He was born in Haverhill July 26, 1922, he was the son of the late Francesco and Emelia (Romaniello) Augusta. Bill was educated in Haverhill, attending Tilton School and Haverhill High School and was a devout Catholic and member of Sacred Hearts Parish. Prior to entering the service, he was employed at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, assisting in assembly, installation, and repairs of submarine ventilating equipment. Bill entered the United States Army in March 1943, receiving his field artillery training at Camp Masey, TX. Bill served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army 734^th Field Artillery Battalion in the U. S. and with 516^th Field Artillery Battalion as a 155mm Long Tom gun commander in England, France, Belgium, Holland, attached to the Ninth U.S. Army in Germany, serving the last year of combat service in Germany. Due to the death of his father, he was honorably discharged in December of 1945. After the war, Bill worked along with his brother Nick delivering Clicquot Club tonic around the local area. In 1950 he started working at Western Electric and AT&T Technologies in management, close to 40 years and retired in 1989. When the Korean War ended, his older sister Molly purchased Benedetti’s Market for her recently discharge son Joseph who served in the U.S. Army. She requested Bill help her son with the market and he worked there 50 years, which later became known as Benedetti’s Deli, with Joe and his son Marc.

Bill married the love of his life, Gloria Pascucci, together they celebrated 64 years of marriage until Gloria’s death in 2011. Together they raised their two sons, William and Robert. A sports fan, he played softball and basketball for the Cappos. He loved horse and dog racing, going to the track with his brother in law Hilary Campana and nephews Joe and Marc Benedetti. He followed all the local sports teams, except the Boston Red Sox, a devout New York Yankee fan, whenever the Yankees came to town, he would hitch a ride to Boston just to see Joe DiMaggio.

Surviving him are his sons, William J. August and Robert L. August; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Gloria, sisters Molly Benedetti, Ida Levasseur, Julia Medaglia and Theresa Scovotti, and brothers Patsey, Nicholas, Louis and Anthony Augusta.

Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend calling hours on Friday July 5 from 9:30AM until 11:30AM at the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main Street, Haverhill. Following the calling hours will be a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at Sacred Hearts Parish, 165 South Main Street, Bradford at 12:00 Noon. Burial will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, North Broadway, Haverhill. Please visit Comeau Funeral Home on Facebook or www.comeaufuneral.com