Mary "Betty" (Ferreira) Oliveira, of Fall River, passed away peacefully on October 9, 2020 at the age of 74. She was the wife of Luis F. Oliveira. Betty was a daughter of the late Joe and Berta (Rego) Ferreira. Born in Bermuda on June 24, 1946 she lived there with her parents and 3 siblings, Joe, Connie and Lucy, until moving to Sao Miguel, Azores as a teenager.  She was very proud to be an English subject and loved everything about Queen Elizabeth II including the way the Queen waved to the crowds as Betty often mimicked the Queen's wave when saying goodbye to family and friends.

Her knowledge of the Portuguese and English languages allowed her to help others when at the young age of 16 she started teaching English courses in Sao Miguel to a group of students who wanted to grasp the English language.

She met the love of her life and married Luis on October 11, 1964 and they were planning on celebrating 56 years of marriage on October 11, 2020.

In 1976, Betty and her family moved to Fall River, MA and she and Luis established Luiz's Grocery & Liquor, Inc. Betty was the anchor of the grocery and liquor store, and established roots in the neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Betty and she touched the lives of many children that visited the store on a daily basis or spent their summers at the Kennedy Park pool – their typical routine included swimming all day at the pool and visiting "Betty" at the store at least 2 or 3 times a day for snacks.  Many kids would return to the store as adults with their own children so that they could meet Betty and as usual they would leave with a sweet treat or a Kit-Kat chocolate bar – one of her favorites.  She took the time to know these children and really saw the good and value in everyone she met.

Betty found comfort in her Christian faith and often opened the Bible to read several passages, and her favorite saint was St. Therese "The Little Flower".

She taught herself to play the piano; she loved playing rock & roll songs from her time on her baby grand piano; she enjoyed dancing and teaching family members the Charleston from the 20s and the Twist; she really enjoyed being silly and made everyone laugh with her dance moves.

She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, cooking Portuguese food, had an incredible sweet tooth, and mastered the art of entertaining.  Thanksgiving 2011 is known by her family as "Thanksgiving in a Box" - she prepared an entire meal and brought it to her son's house after he and his wife arrived home from the hospital after the birth of their son Louis – she did not want her family to miss out on Thanksgiving.

A believer in education, she pushed her son and the children she met to achieve their educational goals – she often would say that "education is something that no one can ever take away from you." She was proud to achieve her GED and took a couple of college courses at Bristol Community College just to prove to herself that she could handle it.

She cherished family heirlooms and collectibles, enjoyed watching old movies, American Idol, America's Got Talent, and became a huge fan of Syracuse University Basketball after watching a few games at the Carrier Dome when visiting her son – she would forever cheer for the Orange.

Betty's young spirit, smile, selflessness, generosity, sense of humor, style, grace, heart and love will be greatly missed, and her spirit lives on through her family.  Betty's favorite color was YELLOW.

A loving wife and mother, she is survived by: her husband, Luis F. Oliveira of Fall River; her son, Luis F. Oliveira and his wife Fan Oliveira of Norton MA; her grandchildren, Alessandra and Louis; her sister Connie Lima and her husband Tony of London, Ontario, her sister Lucy Ferreira and her husband Paolo Marabello of London, Ontario, her sister-in-law Margaret Lima of Middletown, RI, her brother-in-law Carlos Oliveira and his wife Silvina of Fall River, MA, and several nieces and nephews.

Her Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, October 15th, in St. Anthony of Padua Church followed by her committal at Notre Dame 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!

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in her memory to The Society of the Little Flower, 1313 N. Frontage Road, Darien, Illinois, 60561