Maria Leal, age 83, passed away on Friday, July 20, at the Mabie Skilled Nursing Facility in Hollister. Maria was born in Castelo Branco, Faial, Azores Islands (Portugal) on Nov. 21, 1923. The family then arrived in the United States in 1958. They settled in Hollister/San Juan Bautista, CA in 1961. She was a hard worker and worked at many different jobs. She worked at Ferry-Morse Seed Co. and the cannery until she retired in 1988. She loved her family and enjoyed gardening, attending church, crocheting, playing cards with her grandchildren and attending annual Portuguese celebrations. Known to most as Avo (which means grandma in Portuguese) she was very upbeat and full of life! Avo loved to laugh, sing and dance…most of the time made up her own lyrics which followed in a burst of laughter.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Leal and her son, Joe Albert Leal. She is survived by her son, Manuel Leal and her daughter in law, Adele and their children, Nick, Jill, Matt and Kristina all of Hollister. She is also survived by her daughter, Maria Leal of Ben Lomond and her granddaughter, Shawna Simmons of Ft. Worth, TX and her brother Tony DaRosa and sister in law, Adeline DeRosa of Watsonville and their children, Tony DaRosa, Joe DaRosa, Manuel DaRosa and Kathy Bartell and their spouses and children.
Friends and family can pay their respects on Friday, July 27, 2007.
Funeral services will be held on Friday at 11:30 A.M. at Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home. A reception will follow the services at the SDES Hall, 7th and College Streets in Hollister.
