NAUGATUCK — Maria Rodrigues, 78, wife of Armando Rodrigues, died peacefully on Jan. 19, 2023, in the VITAS Hospice Care Unit at Saint Mary’s Hospital.
Maria was born Dec. 20, 1944 in Trinta, Guarda, Portugal, daughter of the late Antonio Fonseca and Rosa Faria. After completion of school in Portugal, Maria earned a diploma from Maquina de Costura de Portugal for technical learning of cutting and embroidery.
Maria worked at Uniroyal Inc. making Keds shoes, then for 15 years at Modern Fashion in Oakville as a seamstress and she helped at the family restaurant, The Port Café, for 26 years until it closed.
Maria loved sewing, especially loved baking and was always in search of the next best recipe.
She loved gardening and keeping her home and yard nice, and she enjoyed late afternoon walks on the beach, or even just a walk around the block.
The thing Maria enjoyed most in life was her time spent with her miracle granddaughter; her last nine years helping to care for her brought her so much happiness and drive. She would pick Briana up from school, she would cook for her or take her for special lunches.
This brought Maria great joy
Maria also loved encouraging her daughter and granddaughter to achieve more in school or work and in life. Education and growth had always been important to Maria and she will truly be missed by many for her kindness and her willingness to always help others.
In addition to Armando, her husband of 53 years, Maria is survived by her daughter, Rose-Mary Rodrigues and her fiance John Felizardo, her granddaughter Briana, all of Naugatuck; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law in Connecticut and Florida; two godchildren, Pedro Lopes of Naugatuck and Jorge Felipe Carrico of Portugal; along with her aunt and many cousins in Portugal.
Maria also leaves many great lifelong friends whom she loved chatting with for hours on the phone.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at 11 a.m. directly at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 2071 Baldwin St., Waterbury. Burial will be in Guarda, Portugal.
Calling hours were Tuesday morning from 8:45 to 10:15 at the Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck.
To leave an online condolence, please visit buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.
