Julia (DaSilva) Melo, 89, of New Bedford died Monday March 10, 2008 at St. Luke's Hospital after a long illness.
Born in Brava, Cape Verde, the daughter of the late Joaquim "Mosho" and Ana (Baptista) DaSilva, she lived in Senegal before moving to New Bedford in 1975.
She was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Assumption Church.
She was a member of the Bisca Tournament Club.
Survivors include six children, Maria "Gouta" Dedrick of Florida, Manuel Tavares, Maria "Zinha" Tavares, Marguerite DaSilva, Jose DeBarros, and Joseph "Jeannot" Barros, all of New Bedford; a sister, Clarinda Baptista Neves of New Bedford; two brothers, Jose and Joseph DaSilva, both of Cape Verde; 25 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
She was the mother of the late Maria Jose DaSilva, and sister of the late Maria DaSilva, Alfonso and Alice Baptista.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday at 9 AM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Friday from 5-9 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.