NEW BEDFORD - Maria Ernestina Beito, age 91, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on Saturday, December 31, 2016.
Born in Sao Miguel, Acores on May 29, 1925, she was the oldest child of the late Francisco and Maria Jovina (dos Santos) Pacheco. She immigrated to the United States in 1963. She worked for several years as a stitcher at Deerfield Manufacturing and later as a home-based personal care assistant through St. Luke’s Hospital.
Siblings include Humberto Dos Santos of Ontario, Canada, Eduarda Tavares of New Bedford, and Norberto Pacheco of Dartmouth. Maria was predeceased by three siblings: Fernando Pacheco, Liana Viera and Rolando Pacheco.
She was predeceased by her first husband and father of her children, Antonio Martinez Roiz, second husband, Joseph Correia, third husband, Edward Rival and fourth husband, Francisco Beito.
Maria had four daughters: Carmen Maria Reis (husband Joao) of Acushnet, Vidalia Maria DeSousa (husband Manuel Antonio) of New Bedford, the late Maria del Pilar Souza (husband Charles Souza) of Woburn and Maria Helena Neves (husband Jose P. Neves) of New Bedford. She had 9 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Maria enjoyed spending time with her family, playing cards, bragging about her grandchildren and admiring family pictures. She lived in New Bedford for the over 53 years. In her later years, she lived in the home of her daughter and caretaker, Vidalia Maria deSousa. She was a lifelong Catholic and a communicant of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, January 4th in the funeral home from 5 - 8 PM. Her funeral will take place on Thursday, January 5th at 8 AM followed by a mass celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church at 9am. Interment to follow at St. John’s Cemetery. Arrangements placed in the care of Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St. in New Bedford, MA.