Dr. Eleanor J. Pontes, 80, of New Bedford, died suddenly on Saturday, September 1, 2018.
Born in New Bedford, the daughter of the late Frank L. and Florence (Almeida) Pontes, she lived in the Bronx, New York for much of her professional life. She returned to the New Bedford area at retirement.
Eleanor was committed to the value of education, both her own and that of others. She held a B.S. in Education from Westfield State University, a M. Ed. from Bridgewater State University and a D. Ed. from Columbia University. She started her teaching career in New Bedford at the Donaghy School before moving on to Westchester County, New York. A personal highlight of her career was a short assignment at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon until she was evacuated to escape military action. Upon her return to the United States, she taught in public schools in New York while continuing her education. She earned advanced degrees in education and administration enabling her to teach and train others. Ultimately, she served as Dean of Minority Students at Lehman College – City University of New York until she retired.
She is survived by two cousins, Gertrude (Almeida) Encarnacao and Toni (Almeida) Almeida, a large extended family, four godchildren and countless friends across the United States and abroad.
In accordance with her wishes, she was cremated. Her Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, September 15th at 11 AM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the scholarship funds of the Martha Briggs Educational Club, P.O. Box 6248, New Bedford, MA 02742 or the Cape Verdean Recognition Committee, P.O. Box 3070, New Bedford, MA 02741. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.