Deacon William B. Colon, 78

Deacon William B. Colon died at the 3 p.m. Hour of Divine Mercy on July 16 at home, surrounded by his family, in his hometown of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico.
His funeral was Wednesday, July 21, at San Ramon Nonato Parish there, where he served. He was to be buried in Juana Diaz Municipal Cemetery.
He was born on May 13, 1943, in Juana Diaz, the son of Felix Colon Rivera and Eva Burgos Santiago. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, honorably discharged as a Specialist 4, and later worked at Barker’s department store for a short time before becoming a chemical operator for Union Carbide Caribe Inc.
He married Maria A. Nazario on Dec. 24, 1970, in a double ceremony, during which his brother Felix J. Colon and her sister Olga E. Nazario married each other, in Monserrate Parish in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, where the brides had been born. The two couples celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary virtually with family around the United States and Puerto Rico last December.
In July 1985 Deacon Colon and his wife and their children came to Leominster, where other family members lived. Deacon Colon worked at Fort Devens, at General Electric in Fitchburg and part time as a school bus driver in the Fitchburg area.
Bishop Timothy J. Harrington ordained him on April 25, 1992, at St. Paul Cathedral. He was the second Hispanic permanent deacon for the Worcester Diocese. (Deacon Francisco Escobar was the first.) He ministered at St. Francis of Assisi and St. Joseph parishes in Fitchburg; Holy Trinity Chapel in Leominster, North Central Correctional Facility in Gardner and San Ramon Nonato Parish in Juana Diaz. While at St. Francis he also helped with Spanish Masses at Holy Spirit Parish in Gardner.
Beginning in 2012 the Colons started living in Puerto Rico in the winters, and the rest of the year in the Worcester Diocese. He continued serving as a deacon wherever they were.
He retired on May 11, 2018, but continued to help with diaconal ministry until the fall of 2019, when he became too sick to do so.
Deacon Colon leaves his wife, Maria A. Nazario, and their four children and eight grandchildren: Noel W. Colin and his wife, Marangeli Colon, and their children Jonathan Colon, Noel W. Colon Jr. and Nohelymar Colon; Vilmary Colon and her children Karina Colon, Ivan Colon and Estevan Tormes-Colon; Massiel Colon and her husband, Miquel A. Rios; and Joel I. Colon and his children Mia Padovano-Colon and Anthony Colon. Deacon Colon also leaves three great-grandchildren, his siblings Felix J. Colon, Cereida Colon, Evelyn Colon, Carmen Colon and Elba Colon and other family members. He was predeceased by his parents and brothers Horacio Colon, Santos Colon and Eugenio Colon.