Maria Evarista Pereira

­Maria Evarista Pereira, 87, of Middletown, Rhode Island, died on February 19, 2026. She was the wife of the late Manuel I. Pereira. Born in Faial, Azores on September 17, 1938, She was the daughter of the late Manuel and Evarista (Mourais) Neves. She moved to Rhode Island in 1967 with 3 young children. She soon found a steady job with the Newport Hospital and enjoyed 35 years of work there. As her family grew with two more children, she found a home and extended family in Middletown. She was a longtime member of Jesus Saviour Church and a dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Maria is survived by three daughters, Maria Dowler (Rodney), Linda Ferreira (Hermano), and Anna Pereira (Luke), all of Middletown, and a son Joe Pereira of Naples, FL; her beloved grandchildren Nicole, Ashley (Ryan), RJ, Brittany, Chelsea, Preston (Tori), Sydney and Cameron; and two great grandchildren, Justin and Coltin.

Maria is preceded in death by her husband, Manuel Pereira, a daughter Rose Maria Kivlehan, and a grandson Nathan Kivlehan, and several siblings who died in childhood in the Azores.

UPDATED A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, February 26 at 10:00am in Jesus Saviour Church, Broadway, Newport. Burial will follow at St. Columba Catholic Cemetery.

Donations in her memory may be made to American Cancer Society PO Box 7312, Warwick , RI 02887.