Mary Irene Silveira

Mary "Irene" Silveira of Castroville, California passed away October 9th, 2024, with family by her side, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
Irene was born July 2, 1934, at home in Lathrop, California and was raised on a dairy farm in Manteca, California. She loved living on the dairy with her parents and four siblings and spoke often of the fond memories of her ranch life, feeding and milking cows, riding horses, and farming. She attended Rustic Elementary School and graduated from Manteca High School.
After a short three-month courtship, she married her husband, Joe Silveira, and the two were happily married for 51 years. Joe and Irene raised two children, Joseph, and Mary, and enjoyed their time with their two grandchildren, Daniel, and Jenna. She was an amazing mother and grandmother.
They moved from Manteca, California, to Seaside, California in 1963, and in 1975 built their forever home on 12 acres in Castroville, California. Their ranch in Castroville was their pride and happy place.
Irene worked hard her entire life, both on the family farm and in the office. She worked for Percy B. Sapsis in Seaside for 10 years as a bookkeeper before working 25 years for Robert Talbott Ties in Monterey, first as an accounts payable clerk and eventually as the supervisor of the packing and shipping department. It was a job and company she was extremely proud of, and she made sure the entire family was always dressed with the best of ties. She retired in 1996 to be a full-time grandmother.
Irene was heavily involved in the Portuguese American community as a Director with the FDES of Monterey and was a member of the SES, IDES, St. Anthony and Our Lady of Fatima societies. She loved attending Portuguese celebrations and loved dancing, especially the chamarrita, a Portuguese folk dance, with her husband, Joe. She was very proud of her Portuguese heritage and loved traveling to the Azores to visit family and friends.
Irene enjoyed being outdoors and had a great love for animals, especially the cows she raised on her ranch in Castroville. She started the day by going outside to count each and every cow. She was an excellent cook known for her delicious Portuguese sweet bread, chicken soup, favas and loved feeding anyone who walked through her door. She was a devout sports fan who rooted on the 49ers, enjoyed watching NASCAR races at home, and attended the races at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
She loved her family and absolutely adored her grandchildren. She was an extremely kind, caring, and a genuinely good person. She was a great daughter, wife, mom, grandmother, sister, relative, and friend who was loved by all and will be greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joe Silveira, her mother Mary Brazil, her father Frank Brazil, and her brother Frank Brazil, Jr.
She is survived by her son Joseph Silveira (Maite) of Carmel, her daughter Mary Russell (Shawn) of Castroville, her grandson Daniel Machado of Carlsbad, California, her granddaughter Jenna Silveira of Carmel, her sister Lillian Vieira (Frank) of St. George, Utah, her sister Mary Jo Sachs of Manteca, California, and her brother John Brazil (Darlene) of Loudon, Tennessee, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank her caregivers Neda Mendoza, Angie Murrillo, the care staff at Loving Heart Manor, and VNA Hospice of Salinas for their excellent care of Irene.
Funeral Services will take place on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the San Carlos Cathedral, 500 Church Street in Monterey, followed by entombment at the San Carlos Cemetery, 792 Fremont Street in Monterey.