Joseph P. Cordeiro, 85, a longtime Lowell resident passed away after a long battle with dementia on Tuesday, July 18 at Lowell General Hospital. He was the husband of Eduina (Garcia) Cordeiro, with whom he would have celebrated 64 years of marriage this October.
He was born on May 18, 1938, in Horta, Faial, Azores Portugal. A son of the late Jose Cordeiro and the late Palmira (Pimentel) Cordiero, he was raised and educated in Faial and studied architecture. As a young man, it became clear that he was a gifted soccer player. In Faial, he played for Fayal S.C., the fifth oldest futebol club in Portugal. He left his ancestral home in February of 1961 along with his wife and newborn son. The family settled in Lowell, first in the Back Central Neighborhood and later, In Belvidere where he built a home, in which the family would reside for the rest of his life.
Joseph worked as a bread salesman/truck driver for many years with Mello’s Bakery until his retirement. In his 50’s after his retirement he started a hobby business out of his home, specializing in carpentry and architecture, he continued the work he started all those years ago in Faial.
He was a longtime communicant of St. Anthony Parish in Lowell and was a former member of the Holy Ghost Society. He was a past president of the Lowell Portuguese American Center “The Blues Club”.
Soccer was a lifelong passion for Joseph. He was one of the founding members of The Lusitanos Soccer team, which he helped establish in 1970. He went on to coach and manage within the club for many years. He was the assistant soccer coach for Lowell High School for a period of 19 years. He advocated for the rights of the Portuguese American community in Lowell and fair use of Lowell’s fields for the beauty of the game, that he loved.
His outgoing personality and forward-thinking mentality were two of his finest qualities. He was honest, hardworking and would help anyone who needed it, regardless of his own circumstances. He also enjoyed woodworking, gardening, and quality time with friends & family.
Besides his beloved wife, Eduina, he is survived by his sons, Joseph A. Cordeiro, Mark P. Cordeiro and Victor R. Cordeiro, all of Lowell, his grandsons, Kyle J. Cordeiro of Lowell and Noah R. Cordeiro of Nashua, NH, his siblings, Maria Lopes of Oakville, Canada, Dolores Cordeiro of Horta, Faial, Portugal, Fatima Cordeiro also of Horta, Maria Brito & her husband Joe Brito of Dracut and many godchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was the father-in-law of the late Holleen T. Cordeiro and the grandfather of the late Christopher J. Cordeiro.
All are welcome to attend his visitation from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25 at the MCDONOUGH FUNERAL HOME, 14 HIGHLAND STREET, LOWELL, MA - 978-458-6816. His Funeral Mass will follow at ST. ANTHONY CHURCH, 893 CENTRAL STREET, LOWELL, MA at 1 p.m.. Burial to follow at St. Patrick Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts/New Hampshire, 309 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham MA 02452. Please use this website at any time to send the family your condolences or find us on Facebook.