In Loving Memory of Alice Mendes Rodrigues
October 6, 1930 – November 7, 2026
A Life of Strength, Sacrifice, and Unconditional Love *
Alice Mendes Rodrigues was born on October 6, 1930, in Freguesia de São Lourenço, on the island of Fogo, Cabo Verde. She was the daughter of Pedro Mendes and Geronima Mendes and the fourth child born to her parents.
At the age of 16, Alice married her beloved husband, Hermeto Rodrigues. At 19, she welcomed her first child, beginning her lifelong journey as a devoted mother. She became the proud mother of ten children, five boys and five girls: Mateus, Antonio, Manuel, Joao, Eurico, Catarina, Ana, Maria, Mariaalice, and Galina.
Alice was a remarkable woman, a hardworking entrepreneur, and a devoted provider. She sold rice, clothing, food, and anything she could to provide for her family. No job was too difficult, and no sacrifice was too great when it came to feeding her children and giving them a better future. She carried the responsibilities of motherhood with determination, resourcefulness, and extraordinary strength that would define her entire life.
In 1964, during a time of severe hardship and starvation in Cabo Verde, Alice was forced to leave Fogo with all her children and move to São Tomé in search of survival. They remained there for four years, enduring difficult circumstances and fighting to make it through each day. Despite the challenges, Alice never gave up on her family. Her courage and determination carried them through some of the most difficult chapters of their lives.
After returning to Fogo, Alice later moved to Várzea, Praia, in 1972. She continued working tirelessly, always searching for opportunities to provide for her children and build a better future for the family she loved so deeply.
In March 1994, Alice made another life-changing journey when she came to the United States, determined to create better opportunities for her family. Once again, she demonstrated the courage to leave behind what was familiar in pursuit of a brighter future for the people she loved.
Alice’s legacy extends far beyond the hardships she endured. She was a warrior, a survivor, a businesswoman, and a matriarch whose life was defined by perseverance. She knew what it meant to struggle, to sacrifice, and to keep moving forward even when life offered little. Her strength became an example for generations, and her story will continue to inspire her family for years to come.
She leaves behind a beautiful and growing family, including 43 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren, who carry forward her name, her values, and the legacy she worked so hard to build. Her greatest accomplishment was not the business she ran or the places she traveled, but the family she raised and the generations that grew from her love and sacrifice.
Though her earthly journey has come to an end, Alice’s spirit will live on in the hearts of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, relatives, and all those whose lives she touched.
She will be remembered for her resilience, determination, sacrifices, and the love she poured into her family. She faced life’s storms with the heart of a warrior and leaves behind a legacy that no hardship could ever erase.
Alice Mendes Rodrigues was a warrior. She was a survivor. She was the heart of her family.
Her journey may have ended, but her legacy will live forever.
May she rest in eternal peace. Forever loved, forever remembered, and never forgotten.
Visitation in the Home of Funerarias Multi Culturel, 238 Court Street, Brockton Thursday November 19th from 4-8 pm.
Funeral Services and Burial to follow in her home country of Cabo Verde.
Rest in Peace, Queen Alice. Your legacy lives on forever.