Obituaries: Amandio Batista, 91, and Benny Ferigno, 92

Amandio Batista, who as an infantryman in Europe during World War II was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery and the Purple Heart, died yesterday at his home in Milford. He was 91.   
A resident of Milford since 1946, Mr. Batista was born in New Bedford and raised in Portugal. He returned to the United States at 17. He enlisted in the Army in 1944, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and crossed the Rhine and Elbe Rivers before his division was ordered to halt just short of Berlin in the closing days of the war. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his leading of an assault on a German machine gun nest.
In the summer of 1946, Mr. Batista began his employment at the Draper factory in Hopedale, at which he labored as a molder until its closing in 1983. He worked thereafter as a molder at the Cosmec factory in Walpole until 1991.

Mr. Benny J. Ferigno, 92, of Mendon, died Oct. 1 at his residence after a period of declining health. He was the husband of the late Helen (Zariczny) Ferigno, who died in 2010. Mr. Ferigno was born in Milford, the son of the late Salvatore and the late Camella (Manguso) Ferigno. He attended Milford public schools, graduating from Milford High School. He also attended Rhode Island School of Design. 
Mr. Ferigno was a WW II US Navy veteran during which time he was employed as a ship builder at the Bath Works Shipyard located in Bath ME, and later served on the USS Collett in the Asiatic-Pacific theatre. 
Mr. Ferigno returned from the war to start his career as a home builder. He first owned and operated Ferigno & Walker Builders and then later owned and operated Powder Hill Estate Builders. He was a life-member of the Milford Rotary Club and a member of the former Milford Builders Association.