Colonel João Moniz da Ponte

Passed away on 16 January 1973, at the age of 81, at his residence in Ponta Delgada, Colonel João Moniz da Ponte Júnior, husband of Antonieta Cardoso Moniz da Ponte.

He was born on 30 October 1891, in the parish of Capelas, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, having entered the former Army School (Escola do Exército). During the First World War, he deployed to France as part of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP), where he performed his military service with high distinction. At the rank of Lieutenant, he served as the Commander of the Fiscal Guard Company (Guarda Fiscal), stationed in Ponta Delgada. Following the movement of 28 May 1926, he assumed the position of Assistant to the Special Delegate of the Government of the Republic in the Azores, Colonel Feliciano António da Silva Leal, and served as a Councillor for the Municipality of Ponta Delgada.

In 1936, upon the formation of the Portuguese Legion, he took on the responsibility of District Commander at the rank of Captain, dedicating great effort to the promotion and organisation of that militarised body. During the Second World War, holding the rank of Major, he was part of the forces concentrated on the island of São Miguel, performing duties of special trust at the General Headquarters of the Azores Military Command.

From 1946 to 1947, at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, he commanded the 18th Infantry Battalion, mobilised in Ponta Delgada and dispatched to Angola, where he carried out military and administrative leadership roles, contributing to the organisation and management of the Portuguese presence in that territory. During the same period, he also held the office of Mayor (Presidente da Câmara Municipal) of Nova Lisboa, in Angola, further strengthening his role as a prominent military and administrative figure.

Transitionally, he also served as the Military Commander of the Azores. Upon entering the reserve at the rank of Colonel, he became the President of the Portuguese Red Cross in Ponta Delgada, continuing to serve the community with dedication and a profound sense of responsibility.

He was a member of the Military Order of Aviz, having been decorated during the presidency of António Óscar Carmona with the insignia of Officer and Grand Officer, following the proposal by Colonel Feliciano António da Silva Leal.

His funeral took place from his private residence to the Cemetery of São Joaquim, where a funeral Mass was celebrated in the cemetery chapel.