Alice "Aliza" Veiga

Alice 'Aliza' De Pina Veiga, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at the Pawtucket Falls Healthcare Center on February 9, 2025.

Alice was born on January 25, 1930, in Laranjeira, Sao Lourenco, on the island of Fogo, Cabo Verde. She was the first-born child of Joaquina Dias and Benjamin De Pina.

 Transition from Young Bride to Motherhood

 On February 26, 1947, a month after turning 17 years old, Alice's parents arranged her civil marriage to Fidelis Da Veiga in the city of Curral Grande. After a couple of years, they separated, and she returned to her parents' home. In 1953, she had her first child, Maria "Leonor" Augusta Pires, from a brief relationship with Fidelio Carvalho of Laranjeira. Shortly thereafter, she met Lourenco, and their relationship flourished, resulting in the birth of their six children (five girls and one boy). Their 44+ year relationship also meant she became stepmother to his two toddler-aged children, Sergio and Antonio Monteiro.

 Alice thrived as a dedicated mother to all the children. She worked tirelessly to provide for them, often improvising due to limited means and frequently sacrificing her own. Her pride and independence drove her to do whatever was necessary to care for her children. Many people in the community respected her tenacity and drive. Although Alice had no formal education, she was effective and efficient at managing her household, finances, and advocating for her children. She was well known for expressing her love through food, often asking "Did you eat?" and was famous for her "pastel," "couscous," and "gofongo." A devout Catholic, her unwavering faith provided strength, courage, and guidance in everything she did.

 Journey to America

 Alice's mother, Joaquina Dias, who was born on August 27, 1906, in Onset, MA, traveled to Cabo Verde at an early age with her parents. She chose to remain in Cabo Verde, later married Benjamin, and they had six children. They finally decided to make the trip to the United States when she was 62 years old. She gradually worked to petition for the rest of her family to join them. Alice and her seven children were the last to be petitioned. In 1973, the first phase of the petition process enabled Alice and her family to travel from Fogo to Praia, with a brief stay before traveling to Lisbon, Portugal, where they resided in a boarding house awaiting final approval.

Due to her birth right as a US Citizen through her mother, Alice was granted approval to enter the US, while her children remained in Portugal. Although it was extremely difficult for her to leave the kids behind, she was comforted knowing they were in the care of Leonor. On December 10, 1974, she arrived in Boston, MA, where she lived with her parents on Callender Street, Dorchester, MA, near her siblings and their families. On December 17, 1974, Alice was happily reunited with six of her children in Boston, MA, while Leonor remained in Portugal and joined them in the United States shortly thereafter.

Unexpected Life Changes

 After 10 years in the United States, she officially divorced Fidelis Da Veiga. She and Lourenco reconnected, and she petitioned for him to join her in the US. On January 10, 1983, they were married at Saint Patrick's Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and lived on Arion Street in Dorchester, MA. In October of 1993, Lourenco decided to vacation in Cabo Verde with his daughter Nana, but he never returned to the United States. Although he asked Alice to join him there, she declined, saying, "I cannot leave my children."

 She rebuilt her life and moved to Draper Street, Dorchester, MA, when her daughter Nana bought a house there. She continued to live her life in Boston close to some of her children, family, and friends until the property was sold, and she moved to Pawtucket, RI, where three of her daughters resided. Although moving out of Boston was initially hard for her, she found solace by keeping in touch with friends and family via telephone and often taking trips to Boston to stay with Leonor.

 In 2013, Alice moved to a secured housing apartment at Blackstone Falls in Central Falls, RI. She lived there until early January 2020 when, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, she began to exhibit pronounced signs of dementia and relocated to live with her daughter Nana in Pawtucket, RI. There, she required personal care assistance due to progressed dementia, neuropathy, spinal stenosis, and arthritis. Although her four younger daughters and granddaughter took turns providing daily care, her health quickly declined to the point that she required 24-hour professional care. By June 2024, her children made the difficult decision to move her to the Pawtucket Falls Healthcare Center, where she remained until her passing. 

Family Ties

 Alice is survived by her children: Maria "Leonor" Pires, Maria "Nhanha" Alves, Eduardo "Nhonho" Veiga, Maria "Nana" Llanos, Maria "Nina" Campos, Maria "Nene" Teixeira, Maria "Nhati" Cardoso. Her stepsons, Sergio and Antonio "Toti" Monteiro. Her loving siblings: Maria "Yaya" Oliveira, Francisco "Fafifa" De Pina, Joao "Lereno" De Pina, and Amelia "Lili" Alves. 24 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews.

 She is predeceased by her parents, Joaquina Dias and Benjamin De Pina, and her sister Lidia "Titiya" Cabral.