Lionel "Leo" Innocentedos Santos Caldeira

It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of the passing of our dear father, Lionel (Leo) I.S. Caldeira, Cpl E-4, USMC, husband of sixty years of Sharon Elizabeth (Brady) Caldeira, on November 29, 2024.

Leo was born and raised in Taunton, MA to Portuguese parents from Madeira. He attended Weir Grammar School, and in 1958, when he was 16 years old, he left Taunton High School to enlist in the U.S. Marines Corps. Leo went to boot camp at Parris Island and did advanced training at Camp Lejeune. Leo served his country in Southeast Asia, "before" the Vietnam War. Leo attained the rank of Corporal E-4, and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Expert Badge - Rifle M-1, National Defense Service Medal, Expeditionary Medal (Laos), and the Vietnam Service Medal.

Leo married Sharon, "the girl next door," in May of 1963 at Sacred Heart Church in Taunton. Together, they raised three boys and were long-time parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Taunton. Leo worked for Foxboro Company for thirty-five years, where he made life-long friends. Leo got his GED and went to night school to get his Associate Degree in Business Administration while working at Foxboro. In the mid-1990s, Leo and Sharon moved to Pocasset and enjoyed retirement with family and friends on the Cape.

As the son of immigrants, Leo was deeply honored to serve his country in the Marine Corps. He embraced the labels 'leatherneck' and 'jarhead'. He lived his life with the discipline and hard work required to be one of the few, the proud, the Marines, and he instilled these values in his children.

Besides his family and the Corps, Leo loved the sea: sailing and boating. He bought a 26-foot cabin cruiser he named Escape and moored it at the Taunton Yacht Club in Dighton, where he served as Treasurer. Leo also competed as a crew member in at least one Figawi Race on the Cape.

Leo had many talents, such as drawing, photography and woodworking, and he could do just about anything, from taking apart a car engine to doing roofing, plumbing and electrical work in his house. Leo enjoyed reading books and watching documentaries on military history. He loved traveling, hiking and eating out with his wife and friends, and especially spending time with his children and grandchildren. The universe now has one less star shining.

Lionel is predeceased by his wife Sharon; his parents, Adelino and Mary (Magro) Caldeira of Madeira, Portugal and Taunton, MA; his brother Adelino Caldeira, Jr. ("Tex") of Taunton; his sister Claudette (Caldeira) Gouveia of Taunton and South Yarmouth.

Lionel is survived by his son Mark Caldeira of Brooklyn, NY (and his wife, Jianying Huang, and their children, Solina and Breacen Caldeira); his son John Caldeira of Sandwich (and his wife, Nancy [Blake] Caldeira, and their sons, Thomas, Brenden, Tyler and Bryan Caldeira); his son Matthew Caldeira of Brookline; his sister Ethel Caldeira of Taunton; his sister-in-law Carol Whalen of Blairsville, GA; and many nieces and nephews, who knew him affectionately as "Uncle Leo":

Nancy Roney, Gail Caldeira; Brenda Amburgey, Melissa Mahoney, Pamela White, James Brady, Sean Brady, Kevin Brady; Ann Frias, Lori Fyfe, Lisa Cahill, Joseph Gouveia (deceased), Elizabeth Miner; Karleen Masse, Emmett Brady, Jeannine Hasson, Deidre Morelli, Scott Brady, Paul Brady (deceased), Kelly Rego; Tara White, Sean Whalen and Robert Whalen; Roger Bombardier, Dawn Mosman, Joseph Bombardier; and many grandnieces and grandnephews, other family members and many dear friends.

Services will be held on Monday, December 23rd: 12:30 PM at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 324 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Sandwich; 2:30 PM at the Massachusetts National Cemetery at Otis ANGB, Connery Ave, Bourne; 3:00 PM reception at Bucatino Restaurant, 7 Nathan Ellis Hwy, North Falmouth.

In lieu of flowers, and in memory of Leo, who provided for so many, please give your time in service to others. Semper Fi, Marine!