Edith M. Furtado passed away peacefully at the age of 96 on October 19. A lifelong resident of Taunton, born July 7, 1926, she was the daughter of Edith (Conaty) and P. Edward Donnelly and grew up with her five siblings, all of whom she loved and cherished. Edith was a graduate of the Taunton High School Class of 1944 and was an active member of the class reunion committee. She graduated from Morton Hospital School of Nursing and proudly served her country in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during WWII. She was a dedicated employee of Morton Hospital for many years and a member in the Morton Hospital Alumni Association.
Ever the devout Catholic, Edith was an honored recipient of the Marian Medal and was a parishioner of St. Andrew the Apostle Church where she attended daily mass and served as a eucharistic minister. In celebration of her Irish-American heritage, she was a founding member and long-time officer of the Greater Taunton Gaelic Society.
Edith was predeceased, in 1980, by her beloved husband Charles E. Furtado with whom she shared eleven adoring children, Diane Sylvia and her husband Dennis of Scottsdale AZ, Donna Doherty and her late husband John of Berkley, David Furtado and Mark Curtis of Portsmouth RI, Daniel Furtado and his late wife Jeannette of Dighton, Dennis Furtado and his wife Martha of Taunton, Douglas Furtado and his wife Beth of Taunton, Dorothy Roberts and her late husband William of Berkley, the late Donald Furtado, Debra March and her husband Robert of East Taunton, Dean Furtado of Taunton, and Denise Furtado of Taunton. She derived her greatest joy from spending time with her 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. During her long and happy life, Edith enjoyed many hobbies including knitting beautiful items for her family and competing with her sisters and friends on her women’s bowling league.
Funeral home visitation will be at the O’Keefe Wade Funeral Home, 70 Washington St., Taunton, MA 02780 on Saturday, October 22nd from 10-30-11:30 am. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Andrew the Apostle Church at 12 pm. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Taunton.