Carmen Pacheco Medeiros, 89, of Arlington, MA passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on May 31st, 2022. She was born in Vila Franca do Campo, Sao Miguel, Azores on October 23rd, 1932, to Manuel Nicolau Pacheco and Maria do Carmo Couto. Carmen immigrated to the United States at age 20, where she soon met the love of her life, Joseph A.L. Medeiros. They were married in 1957, a marriage that lasted 25 years. She proudly became an American citizen in 1958 but was always connected to her island of Sao Miquel.

Carmen loved raising her five children, but wanted to, in her words, “do something for herself,” She began her academic career at Boston State College and continued her education earning her master's degree from Boston University. Carmen was a kindergarten teacher at the Harrington School for 28 years, retiring in 2002. In her retirement she traveled the world, spent time with her family and many dear friends, and volunteered for many causes, always giving back to the Portuguese community here in the U.S. and back in her native country. Her family and faith in God guided her throughout her life, as she put it: “God has been a good friend of mine. He has given me the opportunity to do what I most like. He has taken many things away, but He has given me so much more.”

She is survived by her sisters Natalia P. Furtado, Zelia Pacheco Kelleher, Gilda P. Clarke, her brother Albert Pacheco and his wife Leontina Pacheco, her children Karen Cappucci and her husband Fred Cappucci, Lisa Medeiros Fitzmaurice, Joseph Medeiros and his wife Leslie Medeiros, Mark Medeiros and his wife Lori Medeiros. She was a loving grandmother to nine grandchildren and great-grandmother to 13 great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband Joseph Andrade Louis Medeiros and her son Roy J. Medeiros.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 11th, 2022 at the St. Anthony’s Church, 400 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue in Cambridge at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests condolences be made in the form of contributions in memory of Carmen to The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) 1046 Cambridge St. Cambridge, MA 02139