Therese A. Canelas

1936 - 2017

Therese A. Canelas
resident of Dracut

NASHUA, NH -- Therese A. (Rivet) (Matte) Canelas, 81, a resident of Dracut and former resident of Manchester, NH, Spring Hill, FL, passed away peacefully Wednesday, August 16, 2017, at Greenbriar Terrace in Nashua, NH.

She was born in Lowell on February 26, 1936, a daughter of the late Paul and Yvonne (St. Onge) Rivet. She attended Lowell schools and was a graduate of St. Joseph High School.

Therese was an avid reader and she enjoyed traveling, ceramics, and knitting, but above all she treasured the time she spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Therese's proudest accomplishment in life was being a grandmother and great-grandmother. She was very proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved to show them off to everyone she met.

She was a communicant of St. Mary Magdalen Church, in Tyngsboro.

Therese's family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff and hospice care at Greenbriar Terrace, for their exceptional love and compassion they gave to Therese and her family.

She is survived by four sons, Richard Matte and his wife Marsha of Greenfield, WI, Robert Matte and his fiance Julie Mueller of Waukesha, WI, Kevin Matte of Lowell and Shawn Matte and his wife Cheryl of Dracut; three daughters, Anne Marie Brown and her husband Jeff of Milford, NH, Dianne LaFond and her husband David of Hudson, NH, and Karen Godfroy and her husband Andre of Lowell; eighteen grandchildren, Leah, Zak, Steven, Bonnie, Kyle, Neil, Erica, Dennis ("Jr."), Jacob, Carrie, Brenda, Scott, Savannah, Christina, Alyssa, Nicholas, Lauren, and Rachel; twelve great-grandchildren; a sister, Jeanne Lavallee and her husband Albert of Dracut; a brother, Robert Rivet of Marion, IL; and several nieces and nephews.

She was also the mother of the late David Matte and Judith Rondeau, the sister of the late Paul Rivet, and the mother-in-law of the late Jill Matte.

CANELAS -- Relatives and friends are invited to attend Therese's Life Celebration at the MCKENNA-OUELLETTE FUNERAL HOME, 327 Hildreth Street, in Lowell, on Monday, from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Her funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Magdalen Church, in Tyngsboro on Tuesday, at 11:00 AM. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, in Chelmsford. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Therese's memory to Home, Health and Hospice, 7 Executive Park Dr., Merrimack, NH, 03054. For condolences and directions, please visit www.mckennaouellette.com.