Albert Richard Couture

Col. Albert R. Couture (USAF-retired), who died peacefully Oct. 11 just three months shy of his 100th birthday, disdained that label. His humility precluded such talk. His life, however, did not.

He was born in Norwich, CT, on Jan. 3, 1925, to parents Albert E. and Alma (LaBrie) Couture. A 1942 graduate of Norwich Free Academy, where he was the catcher on a celebrated baseball team, he joined the Army Air Force and entered Officer Training School. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and at 19 flew as a navigator on the first of his 28 B-24 missions with the 456th Bomb Group, based in Cerignola, Italy.

While overseas, Col. Couture corresponded with Margaret McAvoy, a Norwich neighbor whom he met when she was 15. Their connection was nearly instantaneous. As he often noted, “I knew by the time she was 16 that I was going to marry her.”

And indeed he did. The couple married at ages 18 and 21 in St. Patrick Church in Norwich in 1946, a few months after his discharge from the military. He was recalled into the Air Force in 1949, which continued a military career that spanned 32 years and included a year in Saigon during the Vietnam War. During his highly decorated service, he held positions ranging from flight instructor to aircraft commander to logistics command.

Through those decades of service, Col. Couture piloted several types of aircraft and rose through the ranks. The couple and their family, which grew to include seven children, spent time at Air Force bases in California, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nevada, Japan, Guam, Hawaii, Delaware, Alabama, Washington, D.C., and Ohio.

After Col. Couture’s retirement in 1975, the couple returned to Springfield, VA. Their home proved to be the gathering spot for countless family reunions, neighborhood parties and a launching pad for travels to Canada, Mexico, England, France, Germany and Italy, among other destinations. They also enjoyed Bomb Group reunions at locations both domestic and abroad. Their marriage lasted 75 years before Mrs. Couture, lovingly known as Peg, passed away in 2021.

“Dad made life an adventure because of his Air Force career – new places, new schools, new friends,” said his eldest daughter, Eileen Mattei. “I remember him as a wonderful storyteller who was devoted to his wife and family. He was such an incredible role model for family and friends. After he retired, nothing made him happier than our get-togethers.”

Chris Couture reflected on his grandfather’s love of life. “He had many interests – in food, culture, aviation, history and current events. He always showed genuine appreciation and respect for others.”

Friend and neighbor Sean Kilcarr was effusive in his praise of Col. Couture, calling him “the rock of our neighborhood.” A 20-year Springfield resident, he said, “Al and his wife Peg were warm and welcoming to me, my wife, and our three girls. There are no words to adequately express how much he meant to all of us.”

Earlier this year, Col. Couture was asked by the Army Historical Foundation to review the Emmy-winning “Masters of the Air” television series that recounted World War II aviation exploits. Two YouTube videos featuring his well-received reviews drew 350,000 views and hundreds of laudatory viewer comments.

Col. Couture also laid the first brick at the National Army Museum and signed the entry stone at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Devout Catholics, Col. and Mrs. Couture were longtime members of St. Michael Catholic Church in Annandale, VA. "The church guided us throughout our lives,” he once remarked. “It has been our foundation.”

Col. Couture is survived by his children: Eileen (the late Guy Mattei) of Harlingen, TX; Richard Couture (Debbie) of Dale City, VA; Ann Walton (Allan) of Clarksville, VA; Diane Dawley (Mark) of Pickens, SC; Kevin (Margaret) of Fort Collins, CO; Margaret of Springfield, VA; and Michael (Tammy) of Springfield, VA.

He also is survived by 13 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Irene Pepin, two brothers, Henry and Ernie, and one great-grandchild.

A viewing and visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Demaine Funeral Home in Springfield, with a funeral mass the following day at 10 a.m. at St. Michael in Annandale. A yet unscheduled full military honors funeral is planned next year at Arlington National Cemetery.