Mary Pitta Abreu
LOWELL Mary (Pitta) Abreu, age 95, passed away on June 27, 2015, at D’Youville Senior Care Center in Lowell, following a brief illness. Born in Lowell on February 28. 1920, she was the daughter of the late Jose and Maria (Santos) Pitta. Mary lived most of her life in Lowell, though she spent ages 7 through 14 on Madeira Island, Portugal, from where her parents had emigrated.
Mary worked in the mills from a young age, as a stitcher and seamstress at several local clothing manufacturers. She was especially proud of her work during World War II, where she took on ‘man's work’ as a weaver, operating the loom that produced the cloth used for Army uniforms.
A lifelong member of St. Anthony’s Church, Mary maintained a 50-year membership in the Holy Rosary Sodality and proudly represented the organization, marching in many of the Church’s processions in her earlier years.
An avid Red Sox fan and supporter, Mary watched almost every game, and not only studied the players’ baseball statistics, but could tell you their ages, height, weight, and family status. She always enjoyed playing cards, her favorites were ‘petey’ and cribbage, both of which she played as recently as April.
The wife of the late Louis N. Abreu, they were married for 45 years upon his death in 1983. She is survived by three sons, Louis and his wife, Pauline (Genest) Abreu, of Dracut; David Abreu of Lowell, and his companion, Lee Teles, of Tewksbury; and Joseph Abreu of Cape Canaveral, FL; and one daughter, Sheila Perry of Dracut. She is also survived by twelve grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.
Other survivors include her siblings, sister Caroline Young of Andover; brother Edward Pitta and his wife, Pauline, of Lowell; her brother-in-law, Joseph Abreu and his wife, Doris, of FL; and her sister-in-law, Carol (Abreu) Dubay of CT. She was also the sister of the late Joseph, George, Manual, and David Pitta, Linda (Pitta) Chagnon, and Rose (Pitta) Barker.
The family extends its thanks and gratitude to Dr. Stephen Travers of Lowell and the staffs of Merrimack Valley Hospice and the D’Youville Senior Care Center for their care, compassion, and commitment to Mary.
YOU ARE INVITED TO HER CALLING HOURS FROM 4 UNTIL 8 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 1. ON THURSDAY, HER FUNERAL WILL BEGIN AT 9 A.M. AT THE MCDONOUGH FUNERAL HOME, 14 HIGHLAND STREET, LOWELL 978-458-6816. HER FUNERAL MASS WILL BE OFFERED AT ST. ANTHONY CHURCH, 893 CENTRAL ST., LOWELL AT 10 A.M.. BURIAL IN ST. PATRICK CEMETERY. MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, 501 ST. JUDE PLACE, MEMPHIS, TN 38105.
