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Obituary
Andrade, Maria Merces Alves
September 22, 1940 – October 30, 2023
Surrounded by everlasting care, love and prayer, we are saddened to announce the passing of our matriarch, Maria Merces on October 30, 2023 at the age of 83. Beloved mother of Rita (late Manny), Nelia (Liborio), Dianne, and Theresa (Bruno). Adored Amora/Avo of Daniel, Meghan, Rosemarie, Jesse, Antonella, Alexandra, Ella, Emma, Corrado, Laura, Nico and Chloe.
Survived by her sisters Conceicao (late Romao), Tereza (late Jose-Filipe), sisters in law Fernanda, Odette and many nieces and nephews from Madeira, Portugal, as well as the Andrade, Borges,Fernandes, Lima and Mendola families- especially Carla Fenech, Rosa, Giuseppe and Maria Mendola
Maria Merces will be reunited with her family she missed dearly as there is no longer any ocean separating them rejoicing with her departed parents Bento and Maria Mendonca Alves (Manuel) and siblings Isabel, Manuel, Bento, and Jose Luis.
Maria Merces left her family in Madeira, Portugal in 1972 for Lisbon for a year before emigrating to Hamilton, Ontario to start a new life with the late Jose Manuel (2010) and her young family residing on MacNab St for over 39 years. A devoted employee of Strub Brother Pickles, Mom worked hard providing for her family, learning a new language and creating new friendships. In 2006, Mom retired from Strub’s and made the trip back to her beloved Madeira where she was able to spend time with her sisters and family.
Mom loved to garden and plant flowers every spring and looked forward to every Mother’s Day flower shopping for the front garden. At the end of her planting, she looked over her garden with admiration of the beauty she created. That care and devotion to her garden earned her winning various Trillium Awards from the City of Hamilton Garden Awards.
She cooked her famous Sunday carne asada for our family visits and adored this time with her grandkids as the house filled with little tiny feet and laughter to growing stomping feet and loudness. She always made sure she had nutella, peanut butter and toast bread so the grandkids could make a snack and chocolate syrup to go with their milk. She loved her grandchildren immensely and doted on them fiercely – they were her “amors”. Family was always at the heart of everything Mom did. Her love and care for her daughters and grandchildren was abundant, undeniable and unforgettable as she would light up when the cars pulled up to the front of the house and she was sitting on the porch exchanging stories with her amiga and vizinha Cidalia Pacheco.
A devout Roman Catholic, praying all the time, attending mass at St. Mary’s for the last 39 years and participating in ‘processao de velas’ yearly until she no longer could. In 2009, Mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia and thus began a new journey that this time would encompass us all to learn, to protect, to educate, to advocate and be her voice when she no longer could.
For 11 years, Mom resided at St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas on the Birch Trail home area. She was well taken care of the nursing staff on the unit, but especially by nurses Dianne, Devy and Shelly who showed Mom care, compassion and empathy throughout the years; PSW’s Shirley, Mike, Liam, Ida, Mara who treated Mom like she was their mom and friend with respect, kindness, dignity, love and friendship. Dementia takes a lot of things away, but Mom always knew “her people”. We are forever grateful for the devotion, care and empathy you provided to Mom and us throughout the years and in her last days. Thank you to Dr. S Keen (Shelley) and Dr. H Boyd for your care; Chaplain Jeff, Fr Innocente for your spiritual guidance.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada or St. Joseph’s Villa Foundation.
Maria Merces will be resting at FRISCOLANTI FUNERAL CHAPEL, 43 Barton St. E., on Wednesday, November 1, from 2-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. with prayers at 7 p.m.
Funeral Mass will take place at St. Mary’s Church, 146 Park St N, Hamilton, on Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 10 a.m. followed by interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
Mommy você lutou muito, agora descanse e aproveite seu reencontro com seus amados.
O seu coração é o nosso coração e sentiremos a sua falta para sempre.
2023
Death notice for the town of: Hamilton, Province: Ontario
death notice Maria Merces Alves Andrade 2023
obituaries notice Maria Merces Alves Andrade 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Maria Merces Alves Andrade 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
