Manuel Fernando Mendonca

Manuel Fernando Mendonca, age 78 of Taunton, passed away peacefully after a very courageous battle with End Stage Kidney disease, followed by complications of a stroke, on January 16, 2024 at Saint Luke Hospital with his loving family by his side. He was the husband of 53 years of Sizaltina “Tina’ (Soares) Mendonca. Born in Santa Cruz dasFlores, Azores, on June 4, 1945, he was the son of the late Jose Augusto de Mendonca Junior and late Maria da Conceicao da Costa Mendonca. He was predeceased by his siblings Maria Leontina da Costa Mendonca Couto and Jose Maria Mendonca. He served in the Portuguese Armed Services and lived in Horta, Fayal, Azores, Portugal until the age of 25, when he immigrated to the United States. He was a lifelong fan of his beloved Portuguese soccer club Sporting Clube de Portugal, a longstanding member of Taunton Sports Club, and Grupos Amigos da Terceira of Pawtucket, RI. He was a dedicated family man who worked diligently to ensure that the success and care of his family were his number one priority. His dedication was immeasurable. A true Renaissance man, he could build, repair and adapt anything and everything. A people person who valued community and the well being of others, he was kind, generous, and gregarious. He loved making his homemade wines, jams, and so many delicious Portuguese delicacies including his infamous Bolos Rei at the holidays. Besides his beloved wife Tina of over53 years, Mr. Mendonca is survived by his loving sons: Willitts S. Mendonca and his wife Anita of Taunton, and Michael S. Mendonca and his wife Laura of Assonet. His granddaughters were the light of his life and he prided himself in accompanying them with making crafts and watching cartoons and more recently following their academic achievements, which brought so much pride to him. He leaves his granddaughters Sarah C. Mendonca and Julia M. Mendonca of Taunton, as well as his step-grandchildren Melissa Soares of New Bedford and the late Lee Roy Freitas also of New Bedford, and great- grandchildren Cyncere Soares of New Bedford, MA and Charlotte & Abrum Lee Freitas also of New Bedford, MA, who he cherished. He also leaves behind his nephew Kenneth Couto and his son Tyler of Taunton. He will be remembered as a kind and loving family man with great stories and longstanding wisdom he imparted generously to those he cared about. The importance he placed on family will forever live on in his legacy; how lucky we have been to have had such a wonderful person in our lives for so long. Manuel’s funeral will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 8:45 am from the Silva Funeral Home 80 Broadway (at Saint Mary’s Square) Taunton, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am in Saint Andrew the Apostle Church, Kilmer Avenue in Taunton. Interment will follow Saint Francis Cemetery North Walker Street, Taunton. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, January 19th from 5 to 8 pm in the Silva Funeral Home. Additional parking with handicap access is located on the North side of the funeral home. For expressions of sympathy, to sign an online guestbook or to light a memorial candle, visit www.silvafuneralhome.com The family would like to express its sincere thanks to the doctors & nurses in the PCU area at Southcoast Health’s St. Luke’s Hospital as well as the staff of Southcoast Visiting Nurses Association for their gentle and caring assistance.