Mary J. (Gill) Lopes, wife of the late Edward V. Lopes and daughter of the late Wilfred L. and Annie (Kennedy) Gill, died on Friday May 9, 2014 at the age of 88 at New Bedford Health Care Center after a long illness.
Mrs. Lopes graduated from Holy Family High School and became employed at Revere Copper and Brass, Inc. For most of her life, however, she was a full time homemaker, devoted to her children and grandchildren and deeply affectionate to her extended family of siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. Mrs. Lopes was a communicant of St. Lawrence Martyr Church for over 50 years where she was an altar volunteer. She was also a lifelong member of the Legion of Mary.
Mrs. Lopes is survived by her three children, Edward Lopes and his wife Janice, Mary DeMello and her husband Arthur, and Theresa Hirst. She is also survived by three grandsons in whom she took particular pride, Ian Hirst, Andrew DeMello, and Dominic DeMello. Mrs. Lopes was also survived by her siblings, Anna DiFiore, Cynthia Parsons and her husband Arnold, Joseph Gill and his wife Maria, and by her sister-in-law Laura Gill. She was predeceased by her sister Patricia Fernandes and her brother John Gill.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 AM at St. Lawrence Martyr Church. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Tuesday from 4–7 p.m. at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park Street, New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Lopes preferred that remembrances be directed to the St. Vincent De Paul Society of St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 110 Summer St., New Bedford. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.