Cherished mother and grandmother, Elsie, 87, passed away after enjoying a full life devoted to her family and faith. She is preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, George R Souza. She is survived by her loving children: Michael Souza (Colleen), Christine Hanel (Bob) and Stephen Souza (Jayne) along with her beloved six grandchildren: William, Madelyn, Michael Jr., Morgan, Stephen Jr., and Paige. Born a country girl at heart, Elsie was raised on a dairy farm in Hanford, CA along with two siblings. After the death of her father at the tender age of 12, Elsie's family moved to Mt. View, CA. Her life was filled with family, friends, the Catholic church and events centered around her Portuguese (Azores-Terceira) heritage. She was a proud graduate of Notre Dame High School, San Jose and worked at a finance company upon graduation. She married George in 1955 and resided in Santa Clara until her death. Elsie and George were original parishioners at St. Justin's Parish and celebrated many family sacraments and established countless friendships through the years. Elsie also worked 20+ years at Santa Clara Lumber and Millwork. An active member of Saint Clare's Young Ladies Institute for 42 years, she served as the Institute President, Treasurer for nearly 20 years, Institute Deputy and District Deputy. She loved to cook and bake and shared her time and talents bringing joy to family and friends with her many culinary treats. Elsie was an avid fan of the SF Giants and seldom missed a game. In lieu of flowers, donations to Saint Clare's YLI will be gladly accepted by the family. Visitation Wed. Feb 2 at 5:30pm and Vigil Service at 6:30pm at Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary, 466 N. Winchester Blvd. Funeral Mass Thursday Feb 3 at 10am at St. Justin Church, 2655 Homestead Road, Santa Clara. Interment at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.limafamilysantaclara.com for the Souza family.
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