MARIANO, Adelina da Conceição Romão —
In her ninety-seventh year; born in São Romão, S. Brás de Alportel, Portugal; beloved wife of Anibal (died 1999).
In 1961 Adelina and her husband, Anibal, packed up their two young daughters, took a six hour taxi ride from their beloved Algarve home to Lisbon, and, seeking a better life, boarded a Canadian Pacific flight from Lisbon to Toronto. From Toronto they journeyed north to Elliot Lake. Anibal went underground to mine uranium for Dennison Mines and Adelina, with very limited English, worked in the hospital laundry. They worked hard and studied hard. With much improved English, Adelina became a ward clerk. Her gardening skills were on great display in the garden on Central Avenue. With retirement came a move back to the Algarve and the retirement she and Anibal had dreamed of. Anibal’s poor health and all too early death shattered that dream. Adelina lived in her house in São Romão, worked from sun up until dark, and aged gracefully surrounded by friends she had known since childhood. She spent many years traveling between Portugal and Canada. Well into her eighties she would still step off the top of a ladder on to the fig tree to get a fruit that thought itself safely out of her reach. In her nineties, she came back to Canada to live in the homes of her two daughters. Her greatest joy of these years was her great grandchildren-a mutual love wonderful to behold.
Mother of Graziela Mendes (Orlando) and Leonor Mariano (J Michael Es) Beloved Vovó of Jennifer Melo (Steven), Robert Mendes (Darlene), and Diana Mendes Step Vovó of Michael W. Es (Vanessa Rampersad) and Jennifer Es (Starleen Fisher) Beloved bisavó of Julie and Emilie Mendes, and Lucas, Jacob, and Daniel Melo.
The family would like to thank the staffs of the day programs in Scarborough and Guelph and the staff of the St. Joseph’s (Guelph) palliative care unit for their care and compassion.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Alzheimer Society or to the St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Donation cards are available at the Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, Dublin Chapel 252 Dublin St. N., Guelph, 519-822-4731 or online at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Adelina Mariano Thursday January 7th 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Guelph, Province: Ontario