Maria Da Silva Dias

Enfield- Maria (Mary) Elena Fonseca Da Silva Dias, 88, a resident of the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Joseph’s Residence in Enfield, CT, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2020 surrounded by her Children and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Previously, Mary resided in Chicopee, MA and Stratford, CT.  Born January 18, 1932, in Cerdeira, Portugal, Mary was the daughter of the late Antonio and Aurora (Martines) Fonseca. She immigrated to the United States in 1936 with her mother, arriving at Ellis Island at the age of 4 and settled with her parents in Mount Vernon, NY for several years.  After moving to Stratford, CT with her parents, she eventually met the love of her life, our father, Victor Dias, Sr. (pre-deceased). Near the end of his life, they would just sit together holding hands; nothing more was needed.  Mary attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan where she focused on fashion trends, and worked as a buyer for fashion stores in New York City, upon graduation. Her fashion sense was one of her key defining characteristics. After getting married and starting a family of her own, Mary maintained her characteristic independence by working for the City of Bridgeport, CT as a translator in the court system and in Social Services assisting families in need.  Her strong faith and love of God helped her throughout her life and set an example for her family on how to live life in faith. Mary’s traits of courage, strength and independence were evident in her many truisms, the most common of which was “Quitters never win and Winners never quit” and “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle”. Mary will be deeply missed by her family and is survived by her children; a son Victor (Ginny) Dias Jr. of Hamden, CT; 2 daughters, Lisa Silva of Chicopee, MA and Caroline (Al) Krafcik of Longmeadow, MA; 2 granddaughters; Melissa (Vinny) Wallace and Amanda Krafcik; 2 grandsons; Brian Dias and Daniel (Danielle) Krafcik and 1 great-grandson, Devin Walsh. In addition, she leaves a nephew Joe (Julia) Mendonca. Mary’s family is deeply grateful to the Little Sisters of the Poor and the staff at St. Joseph’s Residence. The Quality of Care and Love given to our mother, on a daily basis, over these last 3 ½ years, gave her the best years of her senior life. She was happy, peaceful and thrived and flourished. Especially, in these past few months, she was cared for with tenderness and compassion, and for that we are eternally grateful. Services for Mary will be held on Monday, September 21, 2020 at Holy Name of Jesus Parish Church, 104 Springfield St., Chicopee, MA with a period of visitation beginning at 10 a.m, with a Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 11am. Burial will follow the Mass in Calvary Cemetery, Chicopee. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her honor may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor Enfield St. Joseph’s Residence, 1365 Enfield Street, Enfield CT 06082. Corridan Funeral Home, 333 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA has been entrusted with handling the arrangements. www.CorridanFuneral.com