Mary Isabella Rodrigues, 91, of East Hartford, CT, passed away at her home on August 16, 2011. She was the widow of John Rodrigues, who preceded her in death in 1999. They were married for 50 years.
She was born in Central Falls, R.I., the daughter of Januario V. Cardoso and Virginia (Araujo Sol) Cardoso. Mary moved to Madeira, Portugal as a young girl, before returning to the U.S. in 1944. She lived in Stoughton, MA and Wareham, MA, where she and her husband owned and operated the Knotty Pine Grille from 1954 to 1972.
Upon retirement, Mary volunteered at Manchester Hospital in Connecticut, traveled to many countries, including Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Venezuela, Canada, Bermuda, England and many states in the U.S. She was a gifted cook, embroiderer, seamstress and crafter leaving many handmade treasures for her family.
Mary had a heart of gold and was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Throughout her life, she worked selflessly and tirelessly to help each and every one. Her family will treasure many memories of conversations at her beautiful dinner table. Mrs. Rodrigues loved her Church and Country and was also proud of her Portuguese heritage, teaching her family about the culture and traditions.
Survivors include 2 daughters, Angela Dunham and her husband Ron of Wareham, MA; Lucinda Layer and her husband Christopher of Manchester, CT. as well as 4 grandsons; Eric Dunham, Jason Dunham, Andrew Layer and John Layer; 4 great grandchildren; Alexah Dunham, Patrick Dunham, Jack Dunham and E. William Dunham. She also leaves 6 sisters in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Helena, Josefina, Deolinda, Algirina, Alzira and Lucinda and their families. She was predeceased by her brothers, Manuel, Jose, Joao and Adelino.
Her Funeral Mass will be from the Immaculate Conception Church on Canton St., in Stoughton, MA at 10:30 A.M., Saturday, August 20, 2011. Family and friends are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718.