Obituary of Maria Gloria Boino

Maria da Gloria Lopes de Almeida Boino, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away on September 1st. She was 87.

Gloria was born in Arcozelo/Gouveia, Portugal in her childhood home on April 26, 1937. The youngest of three, she worked with her siblings and parents on the family farm, tending to their fig trees, olive groves, grape vineyards and apple orchards, as well as assisting her father in making homemade wine and olive oil. This early experience ignited her lifelong interest in gardening and creating her own floral and vegetable gardens. Growing up, she assisted her father, a skilled tailor, with alterations and eventually making her own clothing. She had a passion for sewing and knitting, often making clothes for her children and knitting beautifully detailed blankets for her newly-born grandchildren.

She was a wife to Inacio, and mother to six loving children. For Gloria, family was her top priority. She married in Portugal in 1960, then left to start a life in Angola, Africa, where she gave birth to 5 of her children. She raised her children and lived there for 15 years, until she and her family were violently forced to leave in 1975 due to the country's civil unrest. Leaving behind all of her belongings and home, she eventually made a home for herself and her family in America. Supported by family in America, including her sister, brother-in-law, and their children, she was able to start a new life in Yonkers. With much heartache, never to see her parents in Portugal again, she gave birth to her last child, and raised her children and helped to raise her 9 grandchildren.

She was elated by the presence of her grandchildren and great-grandchild. Her love of family extended to neighbors and friends. Although her primary job in life was a homemaker to her family, for years she supported working moms by babysitting neighborhood children. Many of whom grew up to lovingly call her "Mae," the Portuguese word for mom. Gloria touched so many lives in a very subtle and understated way.

Gloria was a wonderful cook. She prepared meals for her family and later for church events. Her love of food and family was apparent in her elaborate, daily home-cooked meals. This love and enthusiasm to feed was instilled in her children and grandchildren, as they love to recreate her most prized and enjoyed meals.

Gloria was a fighter. She was a strong person who put family and motherly responsibilities above all else. She was a nurturing mother and grandmother who sacrificed so much in the name of family. Her presence and deep-rooted familial love will always remain with those who knew and loved her. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Inacio de Fonseca Boino; her six children, Artur Manuel (daughter-in-law, Rosa), Joe Carlos, Maria Isabel (son-in-law, Carlos), Maria Teresa, Rui Michael, and Maria Fernanda (son-in-law, Matt); her 9 grandchildren, Steven, Daniel, Brianna, Jonathan, Victoria, Paul, Olivia, Christianna, and Carmelo; and her great-grandchild, Hayden. She is predeceased by her sister and brother, Emilia Ribeiro and Joaquim de Almeida; and her parents, Artur and Maria da Anunciacao Lopes de Almeida.

There will be a wake for Gloria on Thursday, September 5th from 4:00-8:00 pm at Sinatra Memorial Home, 499 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY, and a funeral mass at 10:00 am on Friday, September 6th at Our Lady of Fatima Portuguese Church, 355 S. Broadway, Yonkers, NY. Gloria will be laid to rest at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Maria da Gloria Boino can be made to the American Heart Association

(https://www.heart.org)