Albuquerque resident William Timothy Coughlin, 84, passed away on Wednesday October 26, 2016. Bill Coughlin was born in Watertown, New York March 12, 1932 to Harriet M. Kitto and Francis G. Coughlin of Chaumont, NY. He was the youngest of his three brothers, Leonard (Mary), Lloyd (Hilda) and Frank (O'Dea).
Bill lost his parents in a tragic automobile accident at age 9 and was raised by his Aunt, Stella Franklin. He enlisted first in the Marine Corps, fought in the Korean War and then served in the Air Force and retired after 25 honorable years.
His love of order, structure and electronics served him well in his later career at Los Alamos National Laboratory. There, he participated in several important defense projects during the 1980's, many of which affect our daily lives, such as the laser technology ultimately used in surgery, compact discs and DVDs. He was recognized and received awards of excellence for his significant contributions to the Nuclear Weapons Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He was also an active member of the Knights of Columbus at the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Corine Coughlin; his step-children, Nicolas Martinez of Santa Fe, NM, James Martinez (James Fissel) of Dallas, TX, Annette McSpadden (Les) of Raleigh, NC, and Patricia Filstrup (Mark) of New York, NY, and his granddaughters, Katelyn McSpadden and Isabela Filstrup. He is also survived by his daughters, Linda, Susan, Nancy, Diane and Laura. He is preceded in death by his grandchildren James and Nicolas McSpadden.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Rosary at 7:00 p.m. at FRENCH - Westside. Mass will be held Thursday, November 3, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 5712 Paradise Blvd. NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87114. Interment will follow at 12:45 p.m. at Santa Fe National Cemetery, 501 N. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bill's name to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, http://pulmonaryfibrosis.donorpages.com/Tribute/WilliamCoughlin, or to the American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org/.
FRENCH - Westside
9300 Golf Course Rd NW
505-897-0300
Service Details
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016, 6:00pm, FRENCH - Westside
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016, 7:00pm, FRENCH - Westside
Thursday, November 3rd, 2016, 9:30am, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church
Thursday, November 3rd, 2016, 12:45am, Santa Fe National Cemetery