Files, Beatriz S,

Beatriz de Sousa Files, 75, of Hilton, NY, passed away on August 3, 2020, with her family by her side.

Beatriz is survived by her husband David Files, of Hilton NY, and two daughters and their husbands: Andrea Kelly & Michael Kelly, of Fairport, NY; Maria Dias & Richard Lewis, of Broomfield, Colorado.  She is also survived by 5 grandchildren: Emma Kelly, Olivia Kelly, Alessandra Lewis, Andrew Kelly, and Daniela Lewis. She is survived by many relatives, including two siblings, Marly de Sousa and Jose de Sousa, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and many more nieces and nephews. She is survived by many friends, one of significant importance to her, Jo Jo whom she loved dearly.

Beatriz had a life filled with adventure, hardships but a lot of laughter and love along the way. She was born to Domingos de Sousa and Palmira Vieira on March 11, 1945 in Madeira, Portugal. She was a vivacious, carefree and independent child, often telling us of the mischief she would get into – skipping school, picking fruit at the vineyards.  At the age of 9, her parents moved her and 7 other siblings to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in pursuit of a better life.  At the age of 9, she also lost her own mother and quickly became the mother to her 3 younger siblings and responsible for the household, cooking and cleaning.  She started young caring for others and that never changed through the rest of her life, always putting the needs of others before her own.

At the age of 19, she married Agostinho Dias.  She had many hardships early on with miscarriages and delivering a baby full term to only find out that it was dead, choked by the umbilical cord.  After a year and much praying, she had a healthy baby daughter Maria de Fatima and, in a few years, had another daughter Andrea. Nothing gave her more happiness then being a mom. She would move heaven and earth for them.  She loved her extended family and life in Brazil meant spending a lot of her time surrounded by family and friends.  There is always a reason to have a party when you’re a Brazilian.  She was always the life of the party, funny and always had to be talking.  It was hard to have a silent moment when you were around her.

At age 32, she had to leave all of that behind to follow her husband to the US in pursuit of a better life for her two daughters.  She struggled at first, being alone with no extended family to lean on, but soon she got her first job, her first car, her independence.  She persevered, worked hard, learned English, put her daughters through private schools, then college. 

She wasn’t afraid of working hard and doing whatever it took, working at factory, babysitting, cleaning homes.  As she often said, “work never killed anyone.” She aspired so much for her daughters and always encouraged them with their education. She lived vicariously through them and was always trying to protect and take care of them, even when they were trying to take care of her. She wanted them to have everything she never had.

In 1998, she married David Files.  David opened up a new life for her, a life of travelling.  She travelled to many states, one of her favorites was Maine where she loved being by the water and eating freshly caught lobster, crabs, her favorites. She travelled all over the world as well. She went back to Madeira, her birthplace, for the first time since leaving at age 9.  She reconnected with long lost relatives and learned more about her own family history. It made her so happy – especially learning more about her own Mother.  She also went to Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico and Brazil many times to visit family. 

Through the 2000’s, she found new loves at the arrival of her grandchildren. She was present for the birth of all of them.  If she could have spent every waking moment with them, she would have.  She would find any excuse to visit, not that she ever needed one.  Her grandkids loved her, they knew staying at Vovó’s house, meant rice and beans and of course lots of trips to the ice cream shop. 

In her later years, she found solace in her garden, she loved her flowers.  She had a wall of rose bushes in front of her home that neighbors and motorists would stop to admire.  She patiently watered and took care of them every day, just like everything else in her life that she loved.  

Despite all the tragedies in her life, she never gave up, she loved life and was taken from us much too soon.  But she leaves a legacy in her children and grandchildren, one of love, caring, compassion, passion, hard work, and strength. 

We will never forget her, “nossa querida Mamãe e Vovó.”

Beatriz’ funeral mass will be held on August 7, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Fairport, NY. . The burial will take place at 2:30 p.m. at White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford, NY.  

Here is the like to watch the livestream of the service

https://cota.church/tv