Obituary of Maria C. Branquinho-Cunha

Maria C. Branquinho-Cunha, 61, of Peabody, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday morning at the NSMC-Salem Hospital. She was the beloved wife of Manuel V. Cunha. Maria was born on November 11, 1957, in Lisbon, Portugal, daughter of the late Sebastiao T. M. Branquinho & Rosa I.C. (Crisostomo) Branquinho. She was raised there prior to emigrating to the United States. She went on the receive her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and a minor in French from Regis College, then went on to receive her Master’s degree in Education from Cambridge College. She went on to work for the late Senator, Ted Kennedy, and following that, she went on to work for the Democratic State Committee. Recently, she was the Chairwoman of the Foreign Language Department and the exchange programs at the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, where she was a well-respected and admired educator. She was also fluent in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. She also valued and had a great love for her Portuguese heritage. She was the co-founder, along with her father, of the Grupo Etnografico Portugal dos Pequeninos, which is dedicated to teach children about Portuguese Culture through songs and dances. She also devoted her time to the Rancho Folclorico de Peabody. Her devotion and love for her culture, along with her ability to teach, enriched the lives of many youths within the Portuguese community. Whether it was through education, song, or dance, she passed on the culture and values that were instilled on her to future generations. She enjoyed traveling, taking in the sights and sounds of the world, reading, spending time on her husband’s boat, but most importantly being surrounded by friends and family. Her humble, kind, and generous soul will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Besides her loving husband, she is survived by her step-children, Christina, Angel, Doris, Ryan and Kayla; 6 step-grandchildren; a sister, Fatima Branquinho of Peabody, her godchildren; Tania Machado Roberts and Dan Marques, and many nieces, nephews and friends. A visitation will be held on Thursday, June 27, from 4-8 P.M. at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody. Her funeral will be held on Friday, June 28, at 8:00 A.M. at the funeral home, followed by a funeral mass in Our Lady of Fatima Church. 50 Walsh Ave., in Peabody at 9:00 A.M. She will be laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. Expressions of sympathy may be made to a Portuguese charity of your choice.