Frances Mary deSouza

Born in Rangoon, Burma – now called Myanmar, to Albert and Olive Sequeira. At age seven, with her parents and older sister Eleanor she fled Burma during the Japanese invasion. Her family settled in Bombay, India where she grew up. She graduated from university with a B.Sc. in Microbiology from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay in 1954.

To help support her family she accepted a position as a flight attendant for Indian Airlines. She worked in that position for approximately two years. During this time she met and fell in love with Orlando Francis Xavier deSouza from Goa. Following a whirlwind romance they married on Sept. 8, 1956 at Immaculate Heart of Mary church, Wadala, Bombay. She and Orlando were blessed with four children.

Over the subsequent sixty years they lived in Calcutta (India; 1956-63), Bombay (1963-68), Dubai (UAE; 1968-72), Fairfield (Connecticut; 1972-82), and Dallas (Texas; 1982-present). While in Dubai she taught not only Fifth grade but English literature to multiple grades at St. Mary’s Catholic school.

She was an active member of All Saints Catholic Church in Dallas, TX. She was a founding member of the adoration group there. She was heavily involved in several parish organizations including the St. Gerard circle, the All Saints Womens Organization, and the Golden Saints. In the last two years of her life she and her husband relocated to CHRISTUS St. Joseph Village retirement community. They were involved in many activities there and touched many lives.

She was preceded in death by her sister Eleanor D’Mello (1984).

She is survived by her husband, Orlando, of sixty-three years, her children Nandita Nelson (Stephen) of Wimbledon, England; Roxana Genis (Vincent) of Nineveh, Indiana; Romualdo deSouza (Kelly) of Bloomington, Indiana; Shana Druffner (David) of Dallas, Texas; along with grandchildren Sean (Genis), Stephanie (Jones), Camilla (Fletcher), Sophia, Katrina, Claire, and Natalie (Druffner) and Zarya (deSouza); and great-granddaughter Nina (Genis).