Maria Judite Gonsalves

Maria Judite Gonsalves

April 8, 1944 – March 10, 2025

Maria Judite Gonsalves (née Vieira Alvares Coelho) passed away peacefully at home on March 10, 2025, after a prolonged illness, her loving family by her side. She was 80 years old.

Born in Santa Bárbara on the island of Terceira in the Açores, Portugal, Judite-as she was known-was the youngest of seven sisters and one of eleven children. Life in the Açores after World War II was beautiful but difficult, with modern conveniences scarce and every child contributing to the household. A childhood marked by illness and adversity, Judite suffered life-threatening injuries as a toddler after falling from a second-story balcony and later, as a pre-teen, endured a difficult and lengthy treatment for tuberculosis. Yet despite these hardships, Judite's early years were filled with love, a deep connection to her family, and a steadfast appreciation for life's simple joys.

Even as a child, her energy and joyful spirit were unmistakable and infectious. She had a deep and abiding love for books, animals, nature, and especially music-with her melodic, vibrant voice often wafting through the family home while doing her chores. As a teenager, Judite sang with an instrumental trio and would go on to have her songs played on a local radio station.

It was during the annual Carnaval festival when a 16-year-old Judite met the love of her life, Tony Gonsalves, who was from California and in Terceira visiting family. Their connection was instant and eventually deepened through the exchange of letters over the following three years. In 1964, Tony returned to Terceira to marry Judite, missing his high school graduation ceremony to do so. At 19, Judite left her homeland behind to begin a new life in Pacific Grove, California, a town whose coastal beauty reminded her of her beloved Terceira.

Adjusting to a new country and language was challenging, but Judite faced it with her characteristic determination and grace. Together, Judite and Tony created a loving home life, raised two daughters, and helped several of Judite's siblings and mother immigrate to California. An indomitable spirit, Judite also taught herself to speak, read, and write English, starting her quest by first learning to read the comics in the daily paper. Though she missed her homeland, Judite embraced her new life in America with gratitude and enthusiasm, never taking anything for granted.

To know Judite was to know she was a force of nature-compassionate, energetic, and strikingly beautiful, inside and out. Selfless to a fault, she ALWAYS put others first. Although religious and deeply spiritual, she was never judgmental or sanctimonious. Her striking presence always turned heads, but it was her kindness, generosity, infectious spirit, and raucous, joy-filled laugh that truly made her unforgettable. Whether through her radiant joie de vivre, playful sense of humor, or never-ending compassion, people were naturally drawn to her.

Judite loved clean spaces, good manners and thoughtful people. She could not bear to see someone in need and agonized over those she could not help, especially children suffering in far-flung places. She was endlessly offering food-feeding others was second nature to her-and she spent more time in her kitchen and garden than anywhere else. She was ever curious and a lover of a good story, drawn to the newspaper and books on self-improvement and spirituality. Though she rarely read fiction, it wasn't from a lack of imagination; it was just that real life, with all its complexity and beauty, was what truly captured her heart.

Judite had a deep appreciation for nature and saw beauty everywhere-in the local coastline she cherished, a wildflower on one of her walks, or in the many animals she instinctively and selflessly cared for. She never hesitated to take in an injured bird or offer a helping hand to someone in need. Judite was endlessly creative and resourceful, with a talent for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whether it was painting a lush landscape or the latest portrait of one of her girls, refinishing a piece of old furniture, sewing a new dress for her daughter, or designing and planting a garden, Judite poured herself into everything she did and could do anything she put her mind to. Ever the superwoman, she even painted the family home, inside and outside, alone and without complaint.

With many years spent working in retail, Judite's warmth and charisma made her beloved by colleagues and customers alike. Customers often returned just to see her, drawn in by how she made them feel truly valued. So impressed were her supervisors at the Pebble Beach Company, her employer for many years, that she was awarded employee of the year and gifted with a trip to Japan.

Judite had many interests, but more than anything, she loved children-all children. She had an innate ability to connect with them, to make them feel cherished, heard, and protected. Whether caring for her own daughters and grandchildren or simply offering kindness to a child in passing, she routinely showered them with unconditional love and understanding.

One of the greatest joys of Judite's life was becoming a grandmother. Without hesitation, she left her job in retail to help raise her grandchildren, pouring boundless love, energy, and creativity into their lives. She shaped their childhoods with laughter, wisdom, and a sense of wonder, encouraging them to embrace the beauty of the world and the kindness within themselves. Though she rarely spoke of her childhood hardships, their impact shaped her into someone deeply empathetic and endlessly generous. She always appreciated life's blessings and found joy in even the simplest moments.

Judite was preceded in death by her parents, João Domingos Coelho and Isaura de Jesus Coelho, as well as several beloved siblings: Lourdes Dematos (Oldemiro), Maria do Espírito Santo Ormonde (Jorge), Mabel Maurício (José), Gabriel Alvares Coelho (Teadora), José Coelho (Patricia), João Coelho (Espírito Santo), and Sister Fátima Alvares-losses that weighed heavily on her heart until her final days. She is survived by her devoted husband, Tony; her loving daughters, Deborah Gonçalves and Michelle Gonsalves (Michael Kirch); her cherished grandchildren, Preston Kirch and Grace Kirch; her siblings, Conceição Bettencourt (Elizeu), Isaura Rodrigues (Luis), and Agnelo Alvares (Maria); and many extended family members and dear friends.

The family will honor Judite's life in a private ceremony at a later date.

Judite will be profoundly missed but never forgotten.