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+Apolonia
Bertha Noronha
 Apolonia
Bertha Noronha, beloved wife of the late Gabriel
Noronha, passed away peacefully at Edith Cavell Care
Centre in Lethbridge (Alberta, Canada) on November
18, 2008, at the age of 90 years.
Bertha is survived by her son, Francis (Cybele)
Noronha, her daughters, Felicia Vas, Prisca (Bosco)
Baptista, all of Lethbridge, and Anita De Sa of
London, England; nine grandchildren and 18 great
grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She
was predeceased by Gabriel, her loving husband of
sixty years; by her parents, Albert and Maria
Augusta D’Souza; all seven of her siblings, Mary,
Tony, Amar, Angelo, Arnold, Amina and Catarina; and
her sons in law Braz De Sa and Eugene Vas.
Born in Calcutta, India, in 1918, Bertha, (or "Aplon"
as she was known to some of her family and friends),
led a long and eventful life. In 1935 at the age of
16, she married Gabriel Noronha and accompanied him
to Zanzibar, East Africa, where Gabriel was
employed. A year later, the first of her four
children was born. Bertha’s life now settled into
the demanding role of being a devoted wife and
mother, caring for her family through the difficult
war and post-war years while creating a happy home
environment for them, first in Zanzibarand from 1942
in Nairobi, Kenya.
By 1968 all four of their children were happily
married. Gabriel and Bertha retired to their home in
Goa, India. In 1976 they decided to emigrate to
Lethbridge, Canada where the major part of their
family was now happily settled. The loss of Gabriel
in 1995 was a great blow to Bertha but she drew much
consolation from the presence of her "Canadian"
family around her and the frequent visits of family
and friends from more distant parts.
Bertha was a people person and happiest when cooking
up a storm for family and friends. She made many
friends in Halmrast Manor where she and Gabriel
resided for nearly twenty years. Her last six years
were spent under the watchful care of the staff of
Edith Cavell Care Centre to whom the family will
ever be grateful, as they are also to her long time
family physician and friend, Dr. Cal Stewart.
Bertha was immensely proud and fiercely protective
of her children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren. They in turn loved her unreservedly
and learned from her example what "family" was all
about. She was the heart of the family and her
passing leaves a huge void. We were all truly
blessed by her presence in our lives and will
cherish our memories of her.
The Vigil Prayer Service will be led by Maureen
Condon Horon and Alice Takacs and will be held at
7:00 p.m., Friday November 21, 2008, at MARTIN BROS.
RIVERVIEW CHAPEL, 610 - 4th Street South, Lethbridge.
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on
Saturday November 22, 2008 at ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH,
318 - 10 Street South, Lethbridge with Fr. Tim
Boyle, celebrant. Interment will follow at Mountain
View cemetery.
Flowers are gratefully declined. Those who wish may
make a memorial donation to the Canadian Diabetes
Association, 210D - 12A Street North, Lethbridge,
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