Graciette M. Rosa

Graciette M. Rosa, (Graciette Maria Raimundo Simao Rosa) of Newington, peacefully entered eternal life surrounded by her family after a courageous but short fight with her illness. She was a previous resident of Wethersfield for over 22 years. Born in Santa Maria, Obidos, Portugal, she arrived in the United States in 1966. She attended Hartford Public High School and received a Bachelor Degree from Central Connecticut State University. She has been employed by the Hartford Board of education for over 20 years, with her last position at Noah Webster School in Hartford, as a special education paraprofessional. She is the only daughter of Felismina Simao of Hartford and the late Carlos Simao. She is survived by her husband of 31 years of Fernando G. Rosa, Deputy Director of the Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO), and her son, Marc Filipe Rosa of White Plains, NY and his fiancée Corrinne Peterhoff, and daughter, Suzana Isabel Rosa of Newington, previously of Wethersfield. She was a member of the American Paraprofessional Association, the Church, Portuguese Club of Hartford, and a communicant of the Our Lady of Fatima Church in Hartford. She also ran a successful travel and document translation business for the Portuguese community in Hartford for over 20 years. She was involved for 25 years in planning and hosting along with her family, cultural activities such as the dinner event ?An Evening in Portugal?, the ?Rosa Simao? Memorial Fund that provided scholarships to students, and the ?Rosa Simao? essay contest. She loved spending time with her family both here and in her hometown of Obidos. She adored dancing and spending sunny days at the beach. She is part of a very extended family; her uncles, Julia Gomes in Portugal, Jose Simao and his wife Gloria of Wethersfield, Alberto Simao and his wife Odete of Hartford, Antonio Simao and his wife Helena of West Hartford, Manuel Fortes and his wife Nazare of West Hartford, Porfirio Antunes of Wethersfield, Luis Simao and his wife Rosa of West Hartford, her Aunts; Arminda Vicente of West Hartford, Maria Augusta Delgreco of West Hartford, her cousins: Tila Ribeiro and husband Jose and children Diane and Mickey, Maria Rosario Simao an her husband Mike Gorzoch and their child, Natalia, Luis Simao and wife Brenda and their child Jason, Roger Simao and wife Ruanda and their child Angelica, Victor Simao, Steve Simao and his wife Joanne and their child, Manuela Freitas and her husband Anibal and their children, Sergio Fortes, Bela Beaupre and her husband George and their children,  Joseph Delgreco and his family, Leanor Sarkizi and her husband Ed and their children, Elizabeth Costa and her husband Rui, Betty Vicente Gencarella and her husband Paul and their children, Nelson Simao and Shawn Simao. She is also survived by her mother-in-law, Arminda Curral Rosa of Portugal, her brothers-in-law, Jose Rosa and his wife Marieta of Lisbon, Frank and Belinda Rosa of London and Domingos and Augusta Rosa of Trumbull, her nieces: Jessica Rosa Flores and her husband Filipe and their children and Nathalie Rosa, and her nephews; Joao Rosa of London and Christopher Rosa of Trumbull. Funeral services will be Tuesday (February 26, 2008) at 10am from the D?Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd. Wethersfield, with a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11am in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Fatima Square in Hartford. Entombment will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery-New Mausoleum in Hartford. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home chapel on Monday (February 25, 2008) from 4pm to 8pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Graciette?s memory may be made to the Graciette Simao Rosa Scholarship through the Rosa Simao Memorial Foundation C/O 22 Chaplin St (Newington Ridge); Newington, CT 06111. For any online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopo.com.