Corinne A. (Tolentino) Monteiro, 89, of Dartmouth passed away peacefully at home on Friday July 6, 2012 surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of the late Antone J. "Toi" Monteiro.
Born in Fairhaven, the daughter of the late Francisco Nicolau and Maria DoCarmo Lopes (Araujo) Tolentino, she was raised on the family farm in Fairhaven and had lived in Dartmouth for many years.
She was a communicant of Our Lady of the Assumption Church.
While she worked in various careers during her lifetime, Corinne's main love was education. She found great joy in her work as a social worker with the Mass. Migrant Education Program and as an educator for the Dartmouth Public Schools.
Mrs. Monteiro was educated in the Fairhaven School System, graduated from New Bedford Vocational High School, and attended UMass Dartmouth.
She was a life member of the Cape Verdean-American Veterans Ladies Auxiliary. She was a member of the OLOA Retirees, the Cape Verdean Retirees, and the Mass. State Retirees. She loved being surrounded by her family and friends and making new friends. She was the consummate caregiver. Extremely proud of all her offspring, she especially loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was anxiously awaiting the birth of her eleventh great-grandchild, Josiah.
Survivors include three children, Eugene A. Monteiro and his wife Benita (Rose) Monteiro, and Jeannette A. Monteiro Leal and her husband Brad Leal, all of Dartmouth, and Robert F. Monteiro and his wife, Bonita W. (Allen) Monteiro of Fairfield, CT; her daughter-in-law, Bonita (Miranda) Ward; eight grandchildren, Mark Monteiro, Trisha Monteiro, Jason Monteiro, Nicole Monteiro Pyne, Geno Monteiro, Lt. Col. Sean Monteiro, Alycia Gabriel, and Ashley Leal; ten great-grandchildren, Jason Anthony, John Paul, Christian, Cameron, Courtney, Madison, A.J., Evan, Skylar, and Isaiah; her sister-in-law, Ida Tolentino; her brother-in-law, Joseph Monteiro and his wife Arkie; her cousin, Joseph Almeida who was like a brother; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and Godchildren.
She was the mother of the late Anthony J. Monteiro, and the sister of the late Mary L. Britto, Louise M. Lovette, Alice M. Tolentino, and Arthur F. Tolentino.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday at 9 AM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Burial will follow in Rural Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday from 3-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.