William Cosgrove
August 27, 1930 — April 21, 2015
Bill went to be with the Lord on April 21, 2015. He was born on August 27, 1930, in Queens, New York, to William and Mary Cosgrove and grew up in Baldwin, New York. Bill attended The University of Miami and then joined the United States Army. While in the Army, he was stationed in many places and earned the following awards and decorations, Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Joint Service Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars; Humanitarian Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon with a numeral three device; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon. After traveling the globe, having five children, and giving his country twenty-eight years of honorable service, Bill retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1982. He and his wife Beth settled in San Antonio, Texas. After Bill retired from the Army, he continued to work and his different jobs were just as diverse as he was. He worked construction, was a school bus driver, was a civil servant, worked for H & R Block, was a teacher and was an Office Manager for the U.S. Census. Always trying to quench his thirst for knowledge, Bill earned his Master's Degree from Pepperdine University while he was still in the Army. He was a voracious reader and history buff. Nary a historical marker was passed without Bill stopping to find out the historical gem that was being offered. Bill had the unique ability to keep a straight face while joking around. His dry sense of humor sometimes befuddled, but oftentimes amused those around him. Bill's favorite roles were those of being a loving husband, a caring father, and a doting grandfather. He was a prominent figure on the sidelines of many of his children's sporting events. His booming New York accent was sometimes heard amongst the other parent's voices. He enjoyed sports so much that he was a referee for baseball, football, volleyball, and basketball. He also coached many of his children's sports teams. In his spare time, he was a great servant and participant in the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He had been a member of the Parish Council and the Knights of Columbus. He taught bible study until he suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke and was unable to do so. His faith in God continued to be strong even though he was no longer able to be active in his parish community. He is greatly missed. He is survived by his son Robert, his daughter Colleen, his son Brian, his son Michael (Rhonda), his daughter Kathlyn (Frank), 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Schertz Funeral Home from 5:00PM - 8:00PM with a rosary from 7:00PM - 8:00PM. Funeral Service will be Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 10:00AM with interment to follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital.
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