NAUGATUCK — Laura dos Santos Ruela Pereira, 93, passed away on Monday, June 6, 2016 at Glendale Health Center surrounded by loving family, friends and caregivers. Mrs. Pereira was predeceased by her husband, Casimiro; her son, Delfim and a brother, Ed Ruela.
Laura was born on Sept. 28, 1922, in Bunheiro, Portugal, a daughter of the late Delfim Augusto Ruela and Maria Joaquina Santos.
She is survived by her son, Edwin Pereira and his wife, Anne, of Royal Oak, Mich.; her daughter, Maria Pereira Roman and her husband, Victor, of Greenville, S.C.; five grandchildren, Robert Pereira and his wife, Sara; Cristian and Amanda Roman; Vanessa and Daniel Pereira; and three great granddaughters, Luciana Pereira, Sophie Roman and Isa Cordero. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins in the U.S., Portugal and Brazil.
Laura was educated in Portugal and arrived in the U.S. in 1957 with her young family. Her focus throughout life was her family, her faith, her friends, her heritage and her church community. She was one of the founding members of Our Lady of Fatima parish and served as the Rosary Society president for over three decades. She was also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary at the Clube Uniao Portuguesa in Naugatuck and embraced her Portuguese culture with fervor. She enjoyed traveling to Portugal with her children, grandchildren and friends and delighted in sharing her heritage.
Her greatest joy were her grandchildren and spending time playing games with them, sharing stories about their ancestors, passing on her sewing and embroidery skills and making their favorite foods/treats.
She will be greatly missed by her family, extended family, friends, and those in her church and Portuguese communities. She leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, compassion, faith and service within those she served. Her devotion to Christ and Our Lady of Fatima influenced how she lived each day of her life and how she raised her family.
Laura was loved by many and loved many. We know that she would want to thank all those who loved and cared for her during her lifetime, especially those who served her with heart in her final years at Glendale Health Center.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Francisco Eurico, on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 2071 Baldwin St., Waterbury. Family and friends are asked to meet directly at church. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck. Friends may call at Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck, on Friday, June 10, 2016 from 5 to 8 p.m.
To honor Laura’s memory, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Our Lady of Fatima Church, Emmaus Youth Group, at the above address.
To send an online condolence, visit www.buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.
