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Maria Lopes
October 21, 1935 - July 8, 2016
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<div itemprop="description"><br>Maria do Rosario de Freitas-Melo was born on October 21st, 1935, in the village of São Brás, island of São Miguel, in the Açores, Portugal. She was the last of eight daughters, and with three other sons, born to José Correia de Melo and Ana Bento de Freitas. She went to school locally and finished "quarta classe" with distinction. She worked in her family home, days out with local families, and at the Goreana tea plantation. In April of 1960, after a long courtship, she married her childhood sweetheart, and second cousin, Jacinto Moniz Lopes. Unfortunately, due to limited economic opportunities in the Açores, Jacinto immigrated to Canada where three of his brothers were already living. A year after their marriage Maria gave birth to a son José; and lived with her parents until she joined her husband in Canada in 1963. The family lived in Toronto, where Maria gave birth to her daughters Ana and Paula. She worked at the TD Centre in building maintenance and was the union shop steward for a number of years. Retiring early due to injuries sustained during a car accident, she and the family moved to Mississauga where she lived until her passing. On Friday, July the 8th, after a long and difficult illness Maria do Rosario de Freitas-Melo Lopes, fell asleep in the Lord. She left her grieving husband Jacinto, children José, Ana and Paula, grandchildren Catherine, Nicholas, Sophia and Anastasia, step-grandchildren JP and Mark, sons-in-law Roy Gomez and Fr. Ihor Petryk. She also left her beloved brother Jose, sisters-in-law Maria Leonilda and Maria de Jesus, and dozens of godchildren, nephews and nieces. <br> <br>Requiescat in Pace. <br></div>