Maria dos Anjos de Oliveira

It is with broken hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Sister, on Wednesday July 16, 2025 at the wonderful age of 104.

Born in Cativelos, Gouveia, Portugal she immigrated to the U.S. at the age of two along with her mother, Maria Ferreira, to be reunited with her father Manuel Bento in New Bedford, MA. At the age of eleven, Maria returned to Cativelos, Portugal along with her mother and U.S.-born siblings—the late George, Sérgio, and Lucilia Bento Cipriano—where she eventually married her late husband José de Oliveira.

Mother to the late Sérgio (late Fernanda), Gracelinda Almeida (António), Jorge (Maria C.) and Joseph A. Oliveira; grandmother to Nelson Oliveira (Allison Patti), Paulo Almeida (Melinda Clark), Cindy Oliveira Vaupel (Christian) and Victor Almeida (Isabel Corte-Real); great-grandmother to Emma and Ethan Oliveira, Olivia and Max Almeida, Elizabeth and Catherine Vaupel, and Mia and Tomas Almeida.

She returned to the U.S. with the family in 1966 to join her sister Lucilia in Danbury, CT, being her next door neighbor and companion until the age of 100 when due to a fall, she was no longer able to live alone and moved in with daughter Gracelinda. She worked at various factories, notably the Portuguese bastions of American Radionics and Davis & Geck. After her retirement she was “Tia” to numerous happy children who were lucky to be in her care.

She was a devout member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish and you could always find her praying the rosary and watching Mass and the Rosary prayers on EWTN The Catholic TV Network.

Also survived by her stepmother Maria Figueiredo, stepsiblings Maria Lourdes Bento, Rosa Caramelo (Carlos), Jorge Bento of Portugal, Sofia Santo (António) and Sónia Pires (Mário), brother-in-law Manuel Cipriano and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins in the U.S. and Portugal.

May she rest in peace in the company of her parents, husband, son, daughter-in-law, brother, and other beloved family members.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Sons of Portugal Scholarship, 65 Sand Pit Rd., Danbury, CT 06810.