Obituaries

Maria Palmira Medina died peacefully on September 19, 2019 after a brief illness. Maria Palmira was born in Feteira, Faial in the Azores Islands, Portugal. She worked at the Pan Am office in Horta, Faial before she immigrated to the United States in 1949. She met the love of her life, Manuel Joseph Medina, shortly after arriving in the US. She spent her adult life in Fremont, California raising two daughters and being active in many social organizations. She was an active member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fremont and a member of the parents club of Holy Spirit School having served on many church and school committees there. Maria and Manuel raised two daughters in Fremont who attended Holy Spirit School, Fremont, and Notre Dame High School in San Jose. She was also an active member of many Portuguese organizations including the Portuguese Fraternal Society of American (PFSA, previously UPPEC). Maria was the Supreme Pianist and a Director of the UPPEC for over 30 years. Maria and Manuel shared an intense love of music. Maria and Manuel sang with their daughters while Maria accompanied them on the piano at many Portuguese cultural events for the UPPEC (PFSA), for the Luso-American Fraternal Foundation and SPRSI of which they were also active members, and many other Portuguese cultural and fraternal events in the state. They made many life long friends through their work in these organizations and up until recently, Maria still attended regular meetings and functions of these organizations. Maria and Manuel took many trips with their close friends, Larry and Vermilda Sylva and many other friends over the years. They enjoyed all their travels and adventures that took them all over the world. Maria worked at Capwell’s in Fremont which later became the Emporium. She worked in the Better Dresses department and was also the Bridal Consultant there for over 20 years assisting many brides to make their day as special as possible. She made many life long friends during her years at Capwell’s and the Emporium and always looked upon those years with much love and appreciation for those she worked with and for ‘her brides’ whom she cherished.

Maria Palmira is predeceased by her husband, Manuel Joseph and is survived by her two daughters: Daughter Annette (Edmundo) Fagundes and their two children, Dominic (Anna) Fagundes and Angela (Robert) Langlands and their children, her four great grandchildren; and by her Daughter Monica (Geoff Lane) Medina and Monica’s children, Andrew Manuel Medina (Kailey) Olds and Robert (Lisa Henderson) Olds. Maria is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and even great-great nieces and nephews and many, many friends both in the United States and in Portugal.

The family hopes you can join them for a celebration of Maria Palmira’s life.

A reception at the DeSousa House located next door to Holy Spirit Church will immediately follow the mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America (PFSA) Scholarship fund or to Notre Dame High School, San Jose. Please visit the Chapel of the Roses website for details regarding donations.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 PM Wednesday, October 30, 2019 with a Vigil at 6:30 PM at Fremont Chapel of the Roses, 1940 Peralta Blvd., Fremont. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 AM Thursday, October 31, 2019, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 37588 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. Private family burial.

Donations to Notre Dame High School San Jose: Here are the two ways people can donate to Notre Dame: 1. You can donate online: https://www.ndsj.org/support-nd/support-nd 2. You can write a check to Notre Dame High School and mail it to Notre Dame High School, 596 S. Second Street, San Jose, CA 95112. Include Maria Palmira Medina’s name in the "memo" section, so Notre Dame can notify the family of donations coming in Maria Palmira’s honor. Donations to the Portuguese Fraternal Scholarship Association Scholarship Foundation. You can follow this link for information about donations: https://www.mypfsa.org/scholarship/giving/#/ or just complete this form and attach a check. https://www.mypfsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/PFSA-Scholarship-Donation-Form.pdf

Make the check payable to PFSA Scholarship Foundation and mail it to: PFSA Scholarship Fund, 1100 14th Street Suite E, Modesto, CA 95354 Please note that the donation is in honor of Maria Palmira Medina.