Marie Arminda Sullivan

Born August 6, 1919 in New Bedford, daughter to Luiz Machado, a Portuguese Journalist that came to America to start a newspaper and mother, Palmyra Rossini, first cousin to Gioachino Rossini, most known for The Barber of Seville & The William Tell Overture. Marie was passionate about her family's background and ancestry, very often telling the most amazing stories about her life and family and how proud she was of them.

Often stories were told around the Great Depression, a time when she faced many challenges and had lost her two beautiful brother's Ferdinand & Jorge along with her cherished sister Gabriella. Times were difficult for her parents then, and Marie was sent to live in Portugal with her family on a farm, where life was simpler. She told of stories of her cousins and how much she loved living in Portugal with her family there. She had a favorite cousin, Carlos Rossini, who welcomed her with open arms when she arrived, and she never looked back.

Eventually, her parents sent for her to come home, and she had to take the miles journey across the Atlantic alone. Her adventures traveling at sea were quite fascinating.

When Marie returned to America, she took care of her mother and raised a family. She loved children very much. Along with her own, she even found time to care for another child less fortunate as if the child was her very own.

Marie was an amazing cook. Whatever she created, it was beyond delicious. She paid attention to only buying the freshest ingredients and would travel every week to go the "Harvard Fish Market" in Cambridge to buy her spices and special ingredients to make the meals of the week. If you knew her, you knew that she was not a "plain jane" type cook. Dinners were always something very unique. She had a special way about everything she did.  Preparing the Sunday dinners, she would have the Portuguese Radio Station playing festive music always and she would sing away as she prepared the meal. Marie loved listening to music.

Throughout her life she often traveled back to Portugal and stayed very close to her aunts and cousins there. Portugal was where her heart was.

Marie also enjoyed watching television shows such as Julia Childs, "The French Chef", The Johnny Carson Show and anything with "cowboys".  She was a wonderful mother, always making sure you did not go without. She was the "Do It Herself" kind of woman with no handy persons job too big for her. She had a full set of tools and was ready to go, always. Marie loved her garden and growing vegetables, with a real knack for growing some very tasty tomatoes and colorful flowers. She planted beautiful cherry trees to line her home and did it all herself. Also, she was very passionate about dogs, having many throughout her life and never being without one by her side. There was a favorite…her dog Jackie, a Shetland Sheepdog that stayed with her until she was 102 years old. She never got over Jackie when he passed. He was her very best friend.

Here's to a remarkable woman, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend. If you were lucky enough to know her, she would make you smile, sit you down and tell you some of the most incredible stories about life and politics.

Bravo, Marie. To a life well lived.

She will be greatly missed by daughter Judi Moccia and son-in-law Joseph of Nahant, son Philip and daughter-in-law Tracy of Burlington, daughter Jeanne Paynter of Hyannis, granddaughter Lynne Bolduc and husband Greg of California, grandson Philip Sullivan, granddaughter Corinne Power, grandson Joseph Moccia of Nahant, granddaughter Alexandra Moccia and husband Ryn Benson of Salem, great granddaughter Ashley Bolduc and partner John of California and great granddaughter Natalie Power. Also, dear sister Ruthanne Curran of Carver, cousin Helena Rossini of the U.K. and many nieces and nephews.

She will be missed by all her neighbors and good friends on "Michael Street" who always were there for her.

Marie's family is planning a private celebration of her life, which will be held at a later date.