Maria Augusta was born in Vila Soeiro do Chão in the county of Fornos de Algodres in Portugal to Egilde da Conceição Vaz and José Augusto Pacheco on November 4, 1937. A teacher in her hometown, Maria Augusta emigrated to the United States in 1971 in search of the American dream. She met the love of her life, Eduardo Neves Corte-Real, whom she married on March 4, 1972 at Saint Peter Church in Danbury. Together they built a humble life rooted in faith, family and hard work, and welcomed two daughters into their loving world. Their happiness was cut short when Maria Augusta lost her love, Eduardo, on August 14, 1979. Despite the unimaginable barriers that she faced as a widowed mother of two young daughters in a foreign country, Maria Augusta persevered, working hard to give her children the best of everything.
Maria Augusta worked for many years at Davis & Geck in Danbury where she made lifelong friendships that lasted until her final days. She volunteered countless hours at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Danbury. She particularly loved helping at the annual Christmas Bazaar, where volunteering often went hand in hand with cookies – a treat she couldn’t resist.
Maria Augusta’s pride and joy were her four beautiful grandchildren whom she loved fiercely. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for them. We will continue to see her grit and determination alive in their hearts. Her legacy lives on in them.
Her greatest passion, however, was for animals – all animals. On any given day, Maria Augusta could be found around her yard feeding the stray cats, the birds, and any other living thing that crossed her path. The Garfield Avenue strays will miss her deeply.
Maria Augusta is predeceased by her parents, Egilde and Jose, her husband, Eduardo, her sister Domitilia, and her brother Antonio. She is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law: Domitila Pereira (Larry) and Isabel Almeida (Victor), her grandchildren Lucas and Talia Pereira, and Mia and Tomas Almeida, her brother Valentim Pacheco in Portugal, and many nieces, nephews, and countless cousins.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, December 8, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 PM at Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street, Danbury, CT. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 149 Deer Hill Avenue, Danbury, CT. Burial will follow at Saint Peter Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Maria Augusta’s memory to Danbury Animal Welfare Society (www.daws.org) or United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut (www.unitedwaycwc.org).
