Francis E. Fernandes

Francis E. Fernandes, of Sudbury, MA., a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, died on Wednesday, October 11. He was 87. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed by his wife of 49 years, Cecilia Fernandes, his children, and his extended family and friends.

Francis was the son of the late Pedro and Carlota Fernandes. He was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania, one of six children, raised with a strong Catholic faith. 

He came to the United States in 1984 with his wife, children, and parents, and over the years, his home in the Boston suburbs became a gathering place for other immigrants living in New England who traced their family roots to the Indian state of Goa. There, Goans from around the region would meet for backyard parties, catch up on the lives of friends and family back in India, debate religion and politics, and feast on a buffet of American and Goan dishes cooked by his wife.

Francis was trained as a radio engineer and worked for Motorola for years, fixing radios used by the MBTA. When he was younger, he helped man a radio tower during the Zanzibar Revolution, communicating between the island and the mainland during political turmoil.

Francis loved traveling and visited London, Paris, Portugal, Germany, Israel, and Thailand. But his favorite place was Goa. Even though he never lived in Goa, he loved spending time with his relatives and his wife’s family there and could be found at Bogmalo Beach, with a bottle of beer and trays of masala fried fish and king shrimp.

Before his retirement, he couldn’t afford to travel often, so he enthusiastically collected stamps instead and said they offered him a miniature window into the lives, people, customs, and cultures of places around the globe.

He was an avid gardener and photographer, and he loved the Boston Red Sox, no matter how good or bad they were - and for many years, they were terrible.

Francis was always open to sharing his opinion, whether it was about sports or politics. He was also generous with his time and money and devoted to his relatives worldwide, many of whom he frequently contacted through letters, phone calls, and video calls in recent years.

Along with his wife, Cecilia, he is survived by his son, Ryan Fernandes, and his wife, Aloisia Fernandes; his daughter, Deirdre Fernandes, and her husband, Kirk Baker; and his three grandchildren, Ashvin, Maya, and Deacon. He also leaves behind his sisters, Mathilda Fernandes, Laurie Kovijanic, Veronica DaCosta, and Cecilia Fernandes; a brother, Joseph Fernandes; and several nieces and nephews.

Friends and family are invited to gather for visitation on Sunday, October 15th, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap Street, Concord. His funeral mass will be held on Monday at 11 a.m. at Ascension Parish – Saint Bridget Church at 29 Sudbury Street, Maynard, with burial following at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Concord. 

To attend the livestream for Francis’ service visit:   Livestream link: https://iframe.dacast.com/b/156599/c/541148

The family would like to thank the staff at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln for their compassionate and attentive care of Francis in his last days and ask that contributions be made in his memory to CareDimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923


Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap Street, Concord, MA 01742 978-369-3388 www.concordfuneral.com