On June 19, at the age of 90, Mary A. Barcellos, a beloved mother and aunt, passed away after a brief illness. Mary was the youngest daughter of Antonio C. and Maria Silva, hard-working Portuguese immigrants. Her first language was Portuguese and she learned English in a 2-room, first through eighth grades, county school, Roselawn. This was next door to her childhood home. She attended Turlock High School, graduating with the class of 1953.While attending a Portuguese festa dance with a friend, Mary met the love of her life, Frank Barcellos. They started dating after they were the maid of honor and best man at that friend’s wedding. Mary and Frank married in 1957 and were together until Frank’s death in 1992, two months before their 35th anniversary.
Mary and Frank started their married life in Cressey, CA. After two years, they moved to Turlock and built a house on 29 acres of property that Mary inherited from her father. Mary made that house a home where they raised a daughter, Diane, and a son, Gary. One of her favorite hobbies was collecting angels and rabbits.
Mary drove her children to Sacred Heart School, where she was a member of the Mother’s Guild and volunteered as a room mother, yard duty and librarian. She continued as the librarian for a few years after her children graduated. Mary also volunteered at the Sacred Heart Thrift Shop, from its inception and several years after. In her later years, she began to volunteer every 3rd Wednesday of the month for the government commodities distribution at the Salvation Army, until the pandemic.
Mary enjoyed attending Young at Heart Senior exercise class for 30 years until her health began to decline. She made many good friends while working on strength and prevention.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents Tony and Maria, husband Frank, son Gary, sisters Olive Silva and Evelyn Lewis (Ray), brother Joe Silva (Rena) and a nephew, David Silva.
Mary is survived by her daughter, Diane. She is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces and their spouses and great nephews and nieces and great-great nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, Mary had requested that donations be made to a favorite charity in her honor. Some of her favorites were St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, United Samaritan’s Foundation, Westside Ministries, Osborn Alumni Scholarship and Salvation Army.
Diane would like to thank the Covenant Care Hospice Staff that gave her mother such loving care and the support her daughter, Diane, received. She would also like to thank the Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Staff that took care of her mother’s daily needs.
Mary attended Sacred Heart Church her entire life. Her services will be held at Sacred Heart Church on Thursday, June 26 with a rosary at 10:00 and funeral Mass at 10:30. There will be a visitation at Allen Mortuary on Wednesday, June 25 from 4-7pm.
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