Delfina Maria Alves da Cunha Alves died Thursday, November 2, All Souls Day, 2017, she was 95. Born in 1922 at 4 Prospect Heights in Milford Massachusetts, she was the first daughter, and third of eleven children, of Anna da Silva da Cunha and Manual Alves da Cunha. Delfina was the wife of Antonio Berros Alves, who died in 1996. They were married for 55 years. Delfina leaves behind two sons, Antonio Alves and his wife Paula of Orleans, MA and Michael J. Alves and his wife Ann, of Watertown, MA; a sister, Sylvia DiGellonardo, and a brother, Joseph Alves. She also leaves behind many happy memories of time spent with her eight grandchildren, Anthony, Shera, Matthew, Jason, Adam, Christopher, Paul and Zachary, and her fourteen great grandchildren. Delfina was predeceased by her brothers Manual da Cunha, Antonio, Sebastian, James, Fernando and George, and her sisters Linda Giacomuzzi and Dina Bilodeau. Called Auntie Mamie by many beloved nieces and nephews, she was the matriarch of the Alves family and was known to be a great storyteller. Her honest and detailed recounts of childhood in “the Heights”, and life during the depression and during the war, taught several generations about the importance of family, generosity and love. She was an enthusiastic cheerleader of her parents’ home country of Portugal (“the old country”), and her pride of being of Portuguese decent was a defining characteristic, playing an important part in the food she cooked, and, in her final years, in the people she befriended while residing at Blaire House. During her life Delfina was a perfectionist who took great pride in hard work, a clean and well-ordered home, and a well-groomed yard. She especially loved to cook for family and friends, and many gatherings at her house included favorites such as roast chicken or pork and potatoes, kale soup, Portuguese macaroni, her own handmade meatballs, linguica, Folar de Chaves, Pasteis de Chaves, bolinhos and many other Portuguese, Italian and American dishes. Above all else Delfina loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren with whom she laughed, loved, hugged, kissed, fed, provided for, groomed, housed, cried with, and scolded. She gave them a window into the past from which to learn, and projected a positive vision of the future with her catch phrase, “Better days are coming”. They will miss her dearly.
The funeral will be held Monday, December 4, 2017 at 10 A.M. from the Consigli Ruggerio Funeral Home 46 Water st. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11 A.M. at the St. Mary of the Assumption Church on Winter St. The burial will follow in the parish cemetery.
Calling hours are Sunday from 4 to 7 P.M.