Violet Rose Perreira

Violet "Vi" Rose Perreira passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 8, 2023.
She was 90 years old.
She is survived by her two daughters Cynthia Nelson of Hayward, CA and Cheryl Lee of Mililani, HI, as well as her four grandchildren (Cheryl O'Malley-Camp, Robert O'Malley, Andrew Raymond-Lee and Christina Lee), and many great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Walter Perreira, and by her siblings, Margie Silva, Ruth Ferreira and Hazel Vegas. Violet will be remembered by her sister, Dorothy DePonte of Maui, Hi, as well as her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and treasured friends.
Born in Maui, Hawaii, on March 27, 1933, she was born Violet Ferreira to Bessie Fontes and Joseph Ferreira. She knew hardship from a young age, her mother passing when she was two years old and her father often being away for work. One of her earliest memories was of nuns in an orphanage that she was placed in, before she went on to island-hop between places and family members in her early years. Her older sister, Margie, who was like a mother to her, remained a constant throughout her otherwise turbulent upbringing, as they settled on Hawaii Island in Honoka'a, under the care of an aunty throughout high school, which she went on to graduate from in 1951.
After moving to Kaua'i following graduation, she met her future husband, Walter, while working in a local market. They soon married in 1953 at Kalaheo Church, moved to Maui, and several years later, moved to the California Bay Area with their two young daughters.
A very loving wife and mother, her daughters have fond memories of their childhood; of delicious meals, fun holidays, camping trips, family vacations, and happiness in the mundane of everyday life. She loved children and was even a foster mother for some time. Her sweet and nurturing disposition combined with her love for children led her to a brand-new undertaking later in life: becoming a preschool teacher.
Her name was a garden, and true to that name she loved spending time in her yard amongst her flowers, fruits and vegetables. She naturally had a green thumb, but she also enjoyed cooking, as well as going to church, watching her soap operas, and enjoying the company of family and friends.
In her high school yearbook, she was described as "a sweet woman who makes simplicity a grace". From that young age, she carried those qualities forward throughout her entire life.
The family respectfully asks for no cards or gifts during this difficult time. A small memorial service will be held at a later, yet to be determined date, at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery & Funeral Center in Hayward, CA.