Obituary of Maria Cecilia Carreiro

Maria Cecilia Carreiro, a seamstress who worked for Priscilla’s of Boston, passed away at the age of 95 on Tuesday morning, April 19, 2016. Cecilia was born in the village of Auga de Pau in St. Michael, Azores. She was the daughter of the late Antonio and Maria Isabel Sousa. She grew up on St. Michael and raised her two children. In 1966 seeking a better life, Cecilia, her husband Manuel, and daughter Maria “Lucy” immigrated to the United States. Less than a year after arriving, her husband Manuel passed away. Cecilia had two options; return to Portugal or stay in the United States and fend for herself. Not one to back away from anything, she remained in the United States. She got a job at the very exclusive bridal shop, Priscilla’s of Boston, as a seamstress and supported herself. She had a strong will and work ethic and managed to buy a house within three years of arriving in the U.S., which would be impressive for any recent immigrant, but even more so for a widow. She lived in her home in Davis Square, Somerville well into her 90’s. Cecilia was an extremely talented seamstress and worked on the many high-end wedding gowns for very exclusive clientele. She had worked on both Presidents Nixon and Johnsons daughter’s wedding dresses. She would make her daughter, daughter in-law, and later granddaughter’s clothes as well. She even made clothing for dolls. She was a fantastic shopper and always could find a great bargain in whatever store she visited. She also had a green thumb and grew roses, flowers, and a wide variety of house plants. She had a lot of spirit and toughness to her. She managed on her own for many years and was very happy with that. She once had someone try to steal her purse. She wouldn’t stand for that and gave the would be robber a good wallop and then chased him down the street. She was determined, strong willed, independent, protective of her family, and holds a special place in the hearts of all she loved. Cecilia was the loving wife of the late Manuel Carreiro. She was the beloved mother of Gabriel Carreiro and his wife Annette of Burlington as well as Maria Lucy Kreho and her husband Ed of North Haven, CT. She was the proud grandmother of Timothy and Jason Fernandes of CT, Valerie Mahoney of Billerica, and Matthew Carreiro of Billerica. She was the great grandmother of Andrew, Natalie, and Evan Fernandes and was anxiously awaiting the birth of her fourth great grandchild in May. She was the sister of Louis Sousa, Jose Sousa, and Gloria Ferraz. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn Street, Burlington on Thursday, April 21 at 10 a.m. The interment will follow at the North Cambridge Catholic Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her husband Manuel. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Cecilia’s name may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association of Middlesex East, 607 North Avenue, Suite 17, Wakefield, MA 01880 or www.vnaofme.org. Arrangements under the Direction of the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington.