Obituary
Maria Angelina de Freitas Terra Alvernaz, of Medford, Massachusetts, passed away at home surrounded by the love of her family on Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2024, she was a young 95.
Born and raised in Horta, Fayal, Azores, Portugal she was the cherished daughter of Maria La-Salette de Freitas and Florencio José Terra, Jr. She was proud of her family legacy, her grandfather, Florencio Jose Terra was an accomplished author, journalist, political figure and headmaster of Liceu da Horta, where he taught mathematics and natural sciences. On her mother’s side, she came from a line of pharmacists who graduated from Coimbra University.
At the young age of 16, she suffered the loss of her dad, a central figure of her life. She idolized her father, a teacher fluent in five languages, and dreamed of one day coming to America after he was offered a job to teach at Columbia University following World War-II. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She remained his devoted caregiver even when he was required to be isolated from the rest of her family to the more remote island of Pico, Azores.
She is the beloved wife of Jose Eduardo Alvernaz, they were married for 66 years. During the political instability of the Salazar regime in the early 70’s and due to the Portuguese colonial wars in Africa, she immigrated to the United States with her son and husband in 1971. She did so to give her son an education, which was very important to her. She settled in Somerville to begin her new life. She was especially devoted to her family and faith; she loved nothing more than spending time together and going for weekly visits to Rockport with her grandchildren.
In addition to her husband Jose, she is survived by her cherished son, Luis M. Alvernaz and his wife, Jamila Xible. Maria is the devoted grandmother of Luis Caetano Xible Terra Alvernaz, Eduardo Henrique Xible Terra Alvernaz and Ana Teresa Xible Terra Alvernaz. She is the sister of Cecilia La-Salette de Freitas Terra Garcia (or her linda boneca) of Portugal and the late Maria Luisa de Freitas Terra Silva, Maria La-Salette de Freitas Terra Nunes, Florencio Monteiro Terra and Elvira Maria de Freitas Terra Andrade. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Maria Julia Goulart da Silva of Somerville, whom she loved like a sister, by her brother-in-law Luis Cordeiro de Andrade of Portugal, her niece Ana Cristina Goulart de Freitas Terra Salomao and her three beautiful children: Mark, Jeffrey and Julia; and her nephew Florêncio Jose Terra as well as many other family members in Portugal.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Catherine of Genoa Church, 185 Summer Street, Somerville on Saturday, February 17th at 12:00PM. Relatives and friends invited to attend. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.
In lieu of flowers and in honor of Maria’s compassion and concern for new immigrants to the country, donations in her memory can be made to the Everett Haitian Community Center, 427 A Broadway, Everett, MA 02149.