Obituary of Maria de Lourdes Bettencourt

Maria de Lourdes Bettencourt, 82, of Peabody, passed away suddenly Wednesday morning at the Twin Oaks Center in Danvers. She was the wife of the late John C. Bettencourt. Maria was born in Freguesia da Luz, Graciosa, Azores, Portugal, on April 1, 1933, daughter of the late Antonio and Maria Gloria (Espinola) Ataide. She was raised and educated in Portugal, before moving to the United States 50 years ago. Prior to her retirement, Maria was a machine operator at Alpha Industries in Woburn. While living in Peabody, she was a member of the Azorean Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Ghost, and a devoted parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Peabody, where she attended mass faithfully until her illness. She always enjoyed life to the fullest, whether it was crocheting, or cooking a variety of Portuguese dishes, including Portuguese sweet bread, tending to the vegetables in her garden, or just being surrounded by her loving family, especially her grandchildren Lisandra and Jesse. She will be loved and missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her daughter and her husband, Maria de Sao Jose Melo and Gabriel; her grandchildren and their spouses, Jesse Melo & his wife Christine, Lisandra Noto & her husband Phillip, and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her siblings, Manuel Ataide, Laurinda Ataide, Mariana Silva, Jeronima Ortins, Maria da Gloria Silva, Alvarina Silva, and Alexandrina Veiga. A Visitation will be held on Friday, October 23, from 4:00 until 8:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, October 24, at 8:00 AM at the Funeral Home followed by a funeral mass in Our Lady of Fatima Church, 50 Walsh Ave., Peabody at 9:00 AM. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Element Care/PACE, 20 School St., Lynn, MA 01902.