Angelina Gomes DeBrito

Miami, FL
Angelina Gomes DeBrito
"Loving Mother, Mother-in-Law, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, and Friend"
Angelina Gomes DeBrito, age 89, of Miami, Florida, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2024, at AccentCare Inpatient Hospice in Miami, surrounded by her family. She was the beloved widow of João Joaquim DeBrito, her husband of 56 years, who predeceased her in 2014.
Angelina was born on October 21, 1934, in São Nicolau, Cape Verde, the daughter of the late Pedro Almeida Gomes and Eulália Luiza Brito. In 1970, she migrated to Lisbon, Portugal, with her family and then moved to the United States in 1975. She resided in Waterbury, CT, with her husband and children for 26 years before relocating to Miami in 2001.
She worked at Specialty Packaging until her retirement in 1996. Prior to moving to the United States, she was a stay-at-home mom in Cape Verde and Portugal, nurturing and caring for her children. As a young woman in Cape Verde, Angelina enjoyed helping her father run his store and assisting her mother as a seamstress for weddings, communions, and baptisms. She took great pride in sewing clothes for her children. After retirement, she played a vital role in caring for her grandchildren, ensuring they knew their Cape Verdean culture.
Angelina was an active member of the Cape Verdean Social Club in Waterbury and was one of the founding members of the Cape Verdean Women's Association, showing her commitment to the Cape Verdean community. She loved cooking for her family, listening to Cape Verdean music, and especially dancing to it. She enjoyed dancing with her children and grandchildren, but most of all, she loved dancing with whom she affectionately called "My Man" (Jonquim). She took pride in her family, which included regular family dinners every night, especially during the holidays, and she was known for making delicious meals with just a pot of water and a bone. She loved entertaining her children's friends, who became family to her. Anyone who visited her home experienced her warm hospitality. Angelina was a mother to all, and her door was always open to anyone.
Angelina leaves behind her five daughters: Angela DeBrito Job of Miami, FL; Valeriana DeBrito of Rocky Hill, CT; Vera DeBrito Esdaile (David) of New Haven, CT; Fernanda DeBrito of Naugatuck, CT; and Maria Lourdes DeBrito Rosario of the Cape Verde Islands. She is also survived by three sisters, Maria Luisa Almeida of Waterbury, CT; Albertina Silva of Waterbury, CT; Maria Lourdes Duarte of Portugal; and one brother, Jose Carlos Almeida of Waterbury, CT. Additionally, she leaves behind fourteen grandchildren: Shanelle, Kyle, Jamir, Kaylie, Jovan, Darius, and Jasmine from the United States, and Joao, Alicia, Nelson, Edwin, Manuel, Eunisia, and Irina from the Cape Verde Islands, as well as one great-grandson, Zavie, of Middletown CT and one great-granddaughter, Kaira, of Miami, Florida. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and many family members and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, João Joaquim DeBrito; two sons, Pedro G. DeBrito and João "John" DeBrito, Jr.; her brothers, José Almeida Gomes and Pedro Gomes Monteiro; and one sister, Antonia Maria Gomes.
Arrangements: A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Waterbury, Connecticut. Burial will follow at New Pine Grove Cemetery. Calling hours will be on Monday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT.