Sergio dos Santos Marques Pereira, 91, of New Bedford, passed away at home on February 23, 2024 following a long illness, surrounded by his family. He was the husband of Maria Alexandrina (Brum Faria) Pereira, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage. He was the son of Ciro Marques Pereira and Maria Luiza dos Santos Pereira.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Mr. Pereira lived in New Bedford for 44 years after emigrating from São Miguel, Azores, with his wife and four children in early 1980.
He took great pride in having been one of the first employees hired for the then-fledgling Azorean airline, SATA, in the 1950s, following in the footsteps of his father, the airline’s very first employee. Whenever he traveled back to the Azores on SATA, flight crews doted on him after learning of his connection to the airline.
Mr. Pereira was a man of many interests, having served as president of Ideal Futebol Clube in Ribeira Grande, São Miguel, the voluntary fire brigade, the local marching band, and Amigos da Ribeira Grande. He was a beloved, well-known member of the community prior to emigrating and, once established in New Bedford, made enduring friendships among the immigrant community.
He was an avid reader, dedicated stamp collector, and passionate supporter of his soccer club, Sporting Clube de Portugal, of Lisbon. When he was mobile, he could be found daily at one of the South End’s Portuguese cafes enjoying some of his favorite activities – drinking espresso, playing dominos and catching up with friends – and often at the Portuguese library, Casa da Saudade, picking out books to read.
He is survived by his wife Maria; his children, Jorge Pereira and Dulce Pereira, both of New Bedford, Isabel Pereira of Pico da Pedra, São Miguel, and Pedro Pereira of Silver Lake, NH; his children-in-law, David Spoor, Jaime Amaral and Diane Pereira; and his grandchildren, Raul Amaral, Beatriz Amaral, and Caroline Pereira.
His visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, February 28th from 4-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday February 29th at 11 AM at St. Lawrence Church. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that donations be made to Southcoast Hospice Care, whose staff helped the family care for him in the last months of his life. The family would especially like to thank Sean Ponte, Roxane Fredette, Samise Monteiro, and all of the other nurses, as well as special family friend Deborah Tripp. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.