Obituary of Maria Freitas Coelho

LINK to funeral mass

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Maria Freitas Coelho, a woman who worked hard to provide for her family, passed away at her home, her loving family by her side, on Sunday evening, February 14, 2021.  She was 80 years old.

Maria was born and raised in Santa Maria Island in the Azores Portugal.  It was a beautiful island to grow up on with beautiful beaches and warm climate.  She was the daughter of the late Joao and Anna de Freitas.  Maria would meet her husband José, they married and had their first son, Manny, while still in Portugal.  When Maria was just 31 years old the family made the exciting move to the United States for better opportunities.  They settled in Cambridge where their second son, Jeff was born.  The family eventually moved to Somerville where they raised their two sons.    Not speaking a bit of English Maria went work as a Personal Housekeeper juggling two jobs at the same time.  She was such a perfectionist at what she did that she was eventually hired by Harvard University where she worked for over 30 years until her retirement at the age of 75.    In 2010 Maria moved to Burlington to be closer to her sister Ilda.  Maria made several trips back to Portugal to visit family.  She also took a memorable trip on the Disney Cruise Line as well as a trip to California.  She took pride in her gardening throughout the years with both vegetable and flower gardens.  Maria also enjoyed doing word search and puzzles.    Maria will be remembered as a friendly and quiet woman who always put the needs of her family above her own.

Maria was the beloved wife of the late José Soares Coelho.  Loving mother of Manuel F. Soares of Burlington and Jeffrey F. Coelho & his wife Jina of Winthrop.  Sister of Ilda Bairos & her husband Joe of Burlington and the late Jose Ernesto Freitas & his wife Zelia of Cambridge.   A visitation will be held at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret’s Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.sstveronicama.com, 111 Winn St., Burlington at Noon.  The Mass will be lived-streamed at Noon, linked to Maria’s obituary on the Sullivan Funeral Home website.   Services will conclude with burial in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington.  In lieu of flowers memorials in Maria’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 www.stjude.org