SOARES JOHN F

CPT John F. Soares was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 01/09/2019 at the age of 75.2 from Parkinson
Westfield, MA
Flight Class 67-14
Date of Birth 10/24/1943
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with B/101 AVN 101 ABN in 67-68, 188 AHC in 68, D/101 AVN 101 ABN in 68
Call sign in Vietnam SPIDER 65
This information was provided by Sammie Williams - obit

More detail on this person: John F. Soares, age 75, son of deceased Abel M. Soares and Anna (McGirl) Soares, passed away on January 9th with his wife and children by his side. He is survived by his loving wife Lois (Consolini) Soares, his daughter Erica Beth Soares, his son John Scott Soares, his wife Megan and their two beautiful daughters, Ava and Peyton as well as his siblings Nancy (Soares) Stone, wife of deceased Police Chief of Hampden, George Stone, Abel Soares and his wife Karen, and Richard Soares in addition to many nieces and nephews. John grew up in Springfield, graduated from and played football for Cathedral High School graduating in 1962 where he met his future wife Lois Consolini. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor of Science degree and the Corps of Engineers in 1966, then was commissioned in the United States Army as second lieutenant. Prior to active duty John and Lois married in July 1966 in a military wedding at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Springfield, MA. His first assignment was in Fort Belvoir, VA, and attended the "Army Engineers Officers Course". His next assignment was the "Army Aviation Primary Helicopter Pilot School" in Mineral Wells, TX. He was transferred to "Advanced Aviation Training in Fort Rucker, Alabama where he graduated in January 1967 as an Army Aviator. Upon completion of branch training, and aviation training he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, aviation battalion as commander of the attack helicopter platoon. In September 1967 the 101st Airborne Division was deployed to Vietnam. His unit was involved in major events such as TET Offensive in Saigon and supporting Special Forces in Khe Sanh to include the battle of the Imperial City of Hue. As a result of his tour in Vietnam and 22 years of military services he was awarded many decorations to include: Distinguished Flying Cross wOLC, the Bronze Star Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, The Air Medal with 19 wOLC, and Army Commendation Medal. Once discharged from the Army John began raising his family. John also furthered his education obtaining his MBA in Accounting from Western New England University. He designed financial computer systems for Mass Mutual Life Insurance Co., Casual Corner, Ames Corp., and Aetna Life Insurance Company. He also continued his military career as a pilot serving in the Connecticut Army National Guard at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Ct. He retired from the National Guard in 1994. John's main pursuit was having a family of his own. He loved planning family vacations to Hampton Beach, weekends skiing, summers in St. Martin, Aruba, Italy and countless other trips in New England where many memories were created. Spending time with his grandchildren, rebuilding classic cars, especially his prized 1979 corvette, indulging in photography, and landscaping his beautiful yard also brought him pride and joy. John said his mission in life was to be a loving husband to Lois, and proud father to Erica and John; a responsibility that required care, patience, unconditional love, and the ability to understand and communicate with his loved ones as they grew. The family will gather and receive friends from 4:00PM - 7:00PM on Tuesday (January 15, 2019) at the Colonial Forastiere Family Funeral Home, 985 Main St., Agawam, John's funeral services will begin at 11:00AM on Wednesday (January 16, 2019) from the funeral home. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will follow at 12:30PM in Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Church, 127 Holyoke Road, Westfield. John will be laid to rest with Rites of Committal and Military Honors, in St. Michael's Cemetery, 1601 State Street, Springfield. Memorial contributions may be made to the Vietnam Veterans Wall Memorial Fund, 1235 South Clark St. , Suite , 910, Arlington, VA 22202; or to American Parkinson Disease Association, Massachusetts Chapter, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118 Please visit www.forastiere.com to offer a personal condolence to the family. Flowers

Burial information: St. Michael's Cemetery

This information was last updated 01/12/2022

Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters

Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list

Return to VHPA web site

Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association