Alberto S. Bettencourt

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Mary Fatima, and by his devoted children, Daniel Bettencourt and Lia Youngs (Brian). He found great joy in watching his grandchildren—Samantha, Cynthia, Gehrig, Taylor, and Cooper—grow up, and he treasured visits from his great-grandchildren, Riley, Kierra, and Jayden, who lived nearby.

Alberto is also survived by his siblings Ines, Filomena, Maria, and Luis. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jose and Maria Bettencourt; his siblings Miguel, Vitoria, Aldina, George, Arthur, and Joe; his eldest son, George Bettencourt; and his first wife, Ana Maria Sanches.

Born and raised on the island of São Jorge in the Azores, Alberto served in the military before immigrating to Canada as part of a large wave of Catholic migration in the 1950s. He worked his way across the country, eventually settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he was joined by his brother Miguel, sister-in-law Aldevina, and nephew Lino. After visiting family in California, Alberto decided to make the United States his home, and start a family of his own in 1961.

He worked for 18 years with the Santa Clara Unified School District and spent weekends painting houses as a side business. He was also an active member and cook at the S.F.V. Lodge in Mountain View for over two decades. In 1985, he married Mary Fatima, and the two enjoyed their retirement traveling in their motorhome and tending to their beautiful garden.

A Funeral Mass will be held at noon on Friday, May 30th at St. Lawrence Catholic Parish, 1971 St. Lawrence Drive, Santa Clara. A reception will follow.