Mary Martins

East Providence - Mary Mendes Martins,101 passed away on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. She was born in Providence in January 1924. Her parents and brother returned to Portugal during the Depression in 1929. She spent her childhood there.

She returned to the US in 1942 to work in the textile industry for the war effort. Her ocean voyage back from Lisbon, via Casablanca, to NYC, was aboard the Portuguese vessel, SS Guine. That ship was responsible, through the efforts of the Joint Distribution Committee, for rescuing over 400 refugees trapped in Europe and Africa. Mary and her brother, Abilio, were the only US citizens aboard.

The ship was stopped several times but was allowed to continue because of the two US Citizens aboard. She returned to Portugal ve years later to marry the boyfriend she had left behind. Mary and Francisco Martins were married 73 years until his death in 2020. They loved their life in Rhode Island and lived and raised their family in Fox Point; they later moved to East Providence.

She is also predeceased in death by her parents, Ermelinda and Jose Mendes; her brothers Abilio Mendes, Pedro Mendes, and Jose Mendes. She is survived by her brother Ramiro and his wife, Emily; her sister-in-law Maria do Carmo Mendes; and by her two children Edward Martins and his wife, Diane; and Susan Martins-Phipps and her husband, Ron Phipps; 5 grandchildren: Matthew (wife, Christina Pereira), Ian (wife, Nicole Martinez), and Caite Phipps (husband, Amadou Diaw); and Jeremy (wife, Katelyn) and Jonah (wife, Katie) Martins; and 13 great grandchildren: Maria, Nazare, Soren, and Rafa Pereira Phipps; Cecile and Rocco Martinez Phipps; Zeke and Soliana Phipps Diaw; Dessa and Farrah Molina Martins; Jeremy Jr and Harlyn Martins; and Josephine Martins.

She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews but most especially Christine Mendes Hanley (husband Mike) and their children Jessica and Matthew. Mary loved to be in the middle of a family gathering, not as the center of attention, but surrounded by love.

She loved babies, cooking, gardening, sewing, and reading. Everyone always craved her esparragado, pasteis do bacalhao, arroz doce, and her famous Portuguese Thanksgiving stufing. She worked in the jewelry industry (BA Ballou and Speidel/Textron) until her retirement at the young age of 75.

She was a woman of faith her entire life and had been a parishioner of Holy Rosary since 1942. Mary lived independently in her own home until the last day.

Services will be held on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church,21 Traverse St, Providence, beginning with calling hours from 8:30-10:00 in the church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00am. Internment at Gates of Heaven Cemetery,550 Wampanoag Trail, Riverside.

If desired, in lieu of owers, please donate to The Hope Health Hulitar Hospice Center ,1085 N Main St., Providence, RI 02904; or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Arrangements by the REBELLO FUNERAL HOME, East Providence.

www.rebellofuneralhomes.com.