Obituary of Americo Sequeira

On Wednesday, June 10, 2020, Americo Sequeira, a loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away at the age of 90 years old. Americo was born on August 21, 1929, in the small town of Mesquitela, nestled in the mountains of Portugal. He left home at the age of twenty to join the Portuguese military where he was stationed in Lisbon. After two years with the military, he eventually moved to Luanda, Angola in search of better opportunities. Years later he began written correspondence with Gracinda da Silva from Mogadouro, near his hometown. Through the course of their letters, a romance blossomed. Americo would soon propose marriage to Gracinda and they wed on September 21, 1957. She then made the long journey to join Americo in Angola where they began their lives together. Soon after, they welcomed their daughter Maria Fernanda to the world. Since Americo was a teenager, he dreamed of coming to America. His wish finally came true on April 17, 1971 when he and his family settled in Yonkers, NY. Americo worked at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Valhalla, NY where he meticulously kept the grounds looking beautiful. Americo was a proud homeowner and found tremendous joy tending to his vegetable and flower garden, maintaining the house and lawn, and going on long walks around his neighborhood with Gracinda. He enjoyed home-cooked meals with his family, reading, and discussing history. He was also a devout Catholic and read his bible often. He was most proud of his grandchildren, Stephanie and David, and enjoyed every minute that he spent with them. One of his favorite memories was traveling with his family. He honored his family's Portuguese heritage and American citizenship by taking his family to visit important cultural sites in both countries several times throughout his life. On June 11, 2020, in Mesquitela, Portugal, the church bells rang in loving memory of Americo. Americo is preceded in death by his father, Augusto Sequeira, and his mother, Marta Gomes; his son, Antonio Augusto; and his brother Antonio Gomes Sequeira. He is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years of marriage, Gracinda da Silva Sequeira; his loving daughter, Maria Fernanda Sequeira Catania and son-in-law, Anthony Catania; his grandchildren, Stephanie and David; his brother, Damiao and sister-in-law, Zulmira Sequeira; his sister, Sally, and brother-in-law, Frank Rodrigues; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Americo loved to give back by donating to many organizations in need. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to an organization of your choice. The funeral mass will be live-streamed on Facebook at 12:00 PM on Tuesday June 16, 2020. You can copy and paste this link into your browser for direct access: https://m.facebook.com/OurLadyofFatimaChurchYonkersNY/live