Maria Diva Costa, a long time resident of Gilroy, met eternal rest surround by her beloved children Margarida and Paul at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose on April 23, 2010, after a sudden illness.
Diva was born June 18, 1932, in a small village in Terceira, Azores off the coast of Portugal.
Diva married Jorge Rosa and came to the United States in 1971 with their 2 children; Margarida and Paul. Jorge and Diva were later divorced and she married Frank Costa. She was a devoted mother and loved her kids. She often bragged about them to anyone and everyone that would listen. Even when her children moved away, she kept in close contact with them and went to visit the “little towns” in Idaho. Paul wouldn’t miss a weekend of visiting with her, playing cards, taking care of the weed issues and helping anyway he could.
She enjoyed her many roses bushes throughout her property & her many fruit trees, which produced the best fruit anywhere, she’d say. She enjoyed having family and friends visit and a good hand of Sueca, a Portuguese card game, in which she never cheated. She loved to play Dominos with her family and never lost. She enjoyed the company, and was very close to her granddaughters; Christina, Valeria, and Elizabeth from Idaho. Every year they would come visit with Grandma and listen to her many stories of the olden days and were taught lessons only she could teach them with her wit and courage. Diva enjoyed her visits from her only grandson Paul Jr, because she said he kept her young with his “loud bikes”.
Diva had a giving, wonderful soul, always willing to help others in any way she could. She will be forever missed by her children; Paul Rosa (Sunday) of CA, her daughter Margarida Ramos (Manuel) of ID, her granddaughters also of ID; Elizabeth Gabriel (Jess), Valeria Warren (Zach), Christina Figueiredo (Cristiano) and Raquel Rosa of CA; her dare-devil grandson, Paul Rosa Jr.; the light of her life, her great-grandchildren Kaleb, Dominic, Gabriel, Faith and Jayden, her sister and brothers in Portugal and many, many friends in the Portuguese community.
Diva was met at the gates of heaven by her mother and father, her husband Frank Costa, her sisters and brothers in Portugal, her great-granddaughter Paigelyn and many friends & family members.
A special thank you to Diva’s dear friends for all her care and friendship throughout the years.
A Viewing will begin at 1:00 P.M. followed by a Rosary at 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at Habing Family Funeral Home. The funeral will take place at 10:00 A.M., Thursday April 29th, 2010, at St. Mary Catholic Church. She will be laid to rest at St. Mary Cemetery immediately following the funeral.
Online condolences may be made at habingfamilyfuneralhome.com
