Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app. Or follow Greater Moriches on Instagram.
William “Bill” Goncalves, father of Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Matt Goncalves, died on Tuesday at age 63 following his well-documented fight with cancer.
Matt Goncalves, who played at Eastport-South Manor High School and the University of Pittsburgh before joining the Colts, shared a heartfelt tribute to his dad on Facebook:
“Not enough can be said about the father you were to me and my brothers. The impact you made on our lives will stick with us till we meet again. Rest In Peace Dad. Goncalves Strong. Always ❤️💪🏼”
Bill Goncalves was the proud father of three sons —Billy, Chris and Matt — and a grandfather to a baby girl, with another grandchild on the way. In a 2024 interview with Greater Long Island, he spoke proudly of his sons’ accomplishments and beamed as he recounted the moment Matt was drafted by the Colts. Watch the video here.
Throughout his illness, Goncalves kept friends and family updated through weekly, sometimes daily, Facebook posts talking on camera and documenting his fight with cancer.
Battled right until the end
His final post, on Oct. 8, showed him frail but still determined: “Hanging in friends. May very well be a time when I can’t but still in the fight. So difficult and scary, not gonna lie. Radiation next week on my spine, one thing at a time.”
Dawn Goncalves Brown, Bill’s ex-wife and mother of their three boys, shared a touching message on Facebook.
“It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of our beloved Bill Goncalves. A proud father, good brother, uncle, and friend to many, many people. Bill’s greatest gift to this world was his three sons,” she wrote.
“They have his good heart. He always taught the boys about Jesus their entire lives — that was his greatest gift to our sons. Second was, of course, the love of SPORTS of every kind!”
Funeral services
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 9 p.m. at James Funeral Home, located at 540 Broadway in Massapequa. Christian burial will follow on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. at Flushing Cemetery in Queens.
Top photos: Facebook
