Loving mother Arlette M. (DaSilveira) Oliveira, 69, of New Bedford, passed away unexpectedly in the presence of her loved ones on Sunday, July 14, 2024 at St. Luke’s Hospital. She was the devoted wife of Eduardo M. A. Oliveira with whom she shared nearly 50 years of marriage during which the pair was inseparable.
Born in Cedros, Flores, Azores, Portugal, the daughter of the late Jaime V. and Filomena C. (Rodrigues) DaSilveira, Arlette came to the United States with her family at the tender age of six. Upon settling in New Bedford, she attended Immaculate Conception School where she formed lifelong friends. She went on to graduate from New Bedford High School, class of 1973, after which she returned to the school system and worked as a teacher’s aide for the city’s bilingual program. In 1975, she married her husband and bore five children who were the greatest pride of her life – an honor that eventually expanded to include her eight grandchildren.
Arlette had a great passion for service to others. Upon finishing her time in the school system, the calling to care for others continued and she next became a certified nursing assistant who worked in a local nursing home. Her giving spirit, coupled with her love of learning, led her to seek higher education as a working mother, first studying part-time at Bristol Community College and then completing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at UMass Dartmouth. While there, she helped found and then proudly ran the UMass Diversity Circle, a student group focused on fostering inclusion on campus. She also advocated for the homeless and marginalized members of the wider community for many years and, upon finishing her degree, worked as a case manager for fifteen years, specializing in disability cases for non-English speakers, helping them navigate the system and receive the services they needed.
A longtime parishioner of St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Arlette volunteered and taught religious education classes. She loved animals and nature, was an avid reader, and wrote poetry. Above all else, she cherished time spent with her loving family, who will hold many amazing memories in their hearts – among them, her wonderful sense of humor, which often made her children laugh and filled their time with joy.
In addition to her husband, Arlette is survived by her children, Eduardo “Ed” Oliveira, Jr. and wife Amy LeBeau, Jo Ann Oliveira and husband Jonathan Rezendes, Ian J. Oliveira and wife Cynthia, Mary-Beth Weiss and husband Ethan, and Christine Oliveira-Griffith and husband Robert Griffith, III; her brother, James A. Silveira; her grandchildren, Anthony, Samuel, Isaac, Audrey, Leon, Maisie, Harper, and Rowan; her brothers-in-law, Antonio Oliveira and wife Maria “Zezinha”, Mario Oliveira and his significant other Sandy Mros, and Louis Oliveira and his significant other Ana Teixeira and their children: Danielle, Maggie, Amy, Lisa, Christopher, and Owen.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, July 26, 2024 from 8-11 a.m. at Rock Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford, followed by a Funeral Mass celebrating her life at 11:30 a.m. in St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 565 County St., New Bedford. Burial will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, and to honor her love of all God’s creatures, donations can be made to St. Lawrence Martyr Church c/o Food Pantry or the A.S.P.C.A., PO Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929.
For online tributes, please visit: www.rock-funeralhome.com
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