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July 3, 1937 ~ April 3, 2017


On Monday April 3, 2017, Mrs. Maria de Lourdes Candido Pereira of Osoyoos passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Mariposa Gardens at the age of 79 years.


She was predeceased by her brother Adelino; sister Celeste; and brother-in-laws Armindo and Augusto.


Maria will be fondly remembered by her loving family including husband Antonio; children Maria Fernanda (Mark) Kent and José (Kathy) Pereira; grandchildren Bryan and Emma Kent and Joaquim and Emerson Pereira; brothers José Candido, Antonio Candido, Alfredo Candido and Augusto Candido.


Maria was born in a small mountain village called Cebola, since renamed São Jorge da Beira, in Portugal. She grew up in a large loving family of five brothers and one sister. Many happy moments were spent herding the goats under her care, each one lovingly named, and each responding to the piercing, ear drum splitting, whistle she used to call them.


She met the love of her life, Antonio, at the village well, married him and the two of them moved to Lisbon, the big city. It was here that their first child, Maria Fernanda, was born. Then, as with many Portuguese of her generation, the family emigrated to Canada. They landed in Vancouver, sponsored by her eldest brother José. A son was born to them the next year, José.


Life continued to be hard, but her husband did well in his job and was transferred to Williams Lake, BC. Here Maria found work at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital in housekeeping. They raised their small family in this interior BC town until 1978 when the family moved to Prince George, BC.


She finished her working life at the Prince George Regional Hospital. Her favourite years in Prince George were the ones she spent helping her son José and daughter-in-law Kathy with the care of her beloved grandsons.


Maria and Antonio retired to Osoyoos in 1997. Osoyoos was the location of twenty happy years. She made many new friends; kept a large garden and fruit trees; volunteered at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, the Portuguese club and Mariposa Gardens. She and Antonio made many trips back to Portugal but when her grandchildren arrived, her heart remained in Canada.


Her pride and joy was an immaculately clean kitchen, a weed free garden, a beautifully hooked piece of crochet, well fed, contended grandchildren and singing in the church choir.


Prayers were held at 7:00pm Tuesday April 11, 2017 at St. Anne’s Catholic Church.


A funeral mass is being celebrated by Fr. Dave DeSouza at 11:00am Wednesday April 12, 2017. Interment and committal followed at the Osoyoos Lakeview Cemetery followed by a reception in the church lower hall.


Condolences and tributes may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com


Arrangements entrusted to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service & Crematorium, Oliver & Osoyoos.




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