Maria Nascimento

Maria was born on April 20, 1949, to Francisco and Maria Rosa of Lajes do Pico, Azores Islands, Portugal. Maria moved with her family to Santos, Brazil in 1958 and then to Santa Clara, California in 1964. In 1967, Maria married the love of her life, Stan Nascimento. Their tightly knit families were both from the Azores Islands. They were married for 55 years and were blessed with three children: Monica, Kirk, and Marysa; and three grandchildren: Emma, Joshua, and Talia.

Maria was a woman of deep faith who laughed easily, loved spending time with family and friends, and was often double-booked, running late to a second or sometimes third event in a day. She whistled like an opera singer when happy (often), had a razor-sharp mind, was the ultimate optimist, a social worker at heart, and loved a game of cards or Bingo.

She was involved with many community organizations, such as the Ladies Guilds of St. Justin’s and the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose; was one of the original founding members of the Portuguese Organization for Social Services and Opportunities (P.O.S.S.O.); and belonged to many Portuguese fraternal organizations (I.F.E.S., S.P.R.S.I., S.E.S., I.D.E.S., and others). For the past 6 years, she enjoyed her community of friends and the many activities at Ivy Park Assisted Living in Salinas, where she served as the Treasurer of the Residents’ Council and ran their Country Store, raising funds for the employee bonus fund.

Maria was predeceased by her husband, Stan, and we know that they are together again enjoying an Eternal Cruise. She is survived by her siblings Natercia, Joe, Tony, Ana, and Frank; her children and grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.

A Memorial Mass honoring her life and spirit will be held on Monday, Feb 17th at 11 a.m. at Five Wounds Portuguese Church, 1375 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory, a woman who never forgot where she came from, to: P.O.S.S.O., an organization serving the diverse needs of immigrant families (https://portuguesecenter.org/about/); or the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and their work towards social justice (https://www.msjdominicans.org/motherhouse).