Maria Goncalves, 101, of Fall River, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 5, 2020 in the comforts of her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was the wife of the late Antonio Goncalves. Born in Beira Alta, Portugal, she was a daughter of the late Joaquim Amaral and Incarnacao (Rodrigues) Amaral. After residing in Portugal for 40 years, she immigrated with her husband and children in 1960. In 1965, five years after their arrival here, Maria and her family were naturalized as citizens of the United States in a group ceremony.

First and foremost, her love of Jesus was evident to everyone who knew her. She cherished the time she spent studying God's Word, and it was often that her children and grandchildren would walk in to find her reading her bible. Maria also cherished the times when her home was filled with family and laughter. Her family can attest to the countless hours she would spend cooking and preparing meals for holidays and gatherings. She made the best malasadas and arroz doce anyone could make.

She had a gentle spirit, coupled with fierce determination, and she wouldn't hesitate to drop everything to help someone in need. She was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. She had honor, integrity and grace. She always remained young at heart, and it wasn't uncommon to see her sitting on the floor, playing with her great grandchildren, or outside in her garden, gathering vegetables for that evening's dinner.  Her home and table were never too small and she was eager to add more seats as the family grew. Her face said it all when she was surrounded by her loved ones. Her heart was made of pure gold….she was cherished dearly by her family. Her charismatic way will never be forgotten.

Maria is survived by: her four children, Helena Faria (late husband Walter) Dionisio Goncalves (wife Lourdes), Silvina Oliveira (husband Carlos) and Christina Barboza (husband Paul); her eight grandchildren, David Goncalves (wife Elizabeth), Mark Faria (wife Melissa Berryman Faria), Diana Faria (husband Jeff Landes), Susan Walker, Andrea Barboza, Melissa Borrayo (husband Luis), Marc Barboza, and Kimberly Charest (husband Marc Charest II); great-grandchildren, Joshua, Amelia, Brian, Rebecca and Jacob; her sisters, Silvina Gouveia of Fall River, MA, Amelia Giannopolo of Pittsfield, MA; and many nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Elena Paralta, Emelia Viegas, Silvana Almeida, and the late Ascencao Almeida.

Her Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, December 8th, in Christ The Rock Assembly of God Church followed by her committal at St. Patrick Cemetery. Family members are always grateful for relatives and friends wishing to make in-person expressions of kindness and support. If you were unable to do so, because of this pandemic or any other reason, all are urged to express their sympathy online or by mail. To ensure that said condolences and/or sympathy cards reach the family, please always make sure that submissions online are made directly through the funeral home's website ( www.silvafaria.com ) and not through a third party. Thank you!