Pacheco, Maria T. of Cambridge, passed away on June 5, 2023, at age 60.
She was born in Vila Franca do Campo, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, Portugal, on August 15, 1962, to Maria (dos Anjos) and Miguel T. Pacheco.
From a young age, she showed a keen interest in singing, dancing, and the visual arts. Despite her mental illness diagnosis at sixteen, Bipolar Disorder, Maria possessed a warm, caring, and immensely engaging, at times larger-than-life personality. When working was no longer possible, she sought continuing education classes and volunteered briefly in elder care settings. She befriended many people, friends, and providers along the way.
Her loving siblings survive her; Natalia T. Machado and her husband, Jose Maria; the late Margarida Dias and her husband, Jose; Joseph Pacheco and his wife, the late Joanne; Walter Pacheco and his wife Suzette; and Eduardo Pacheco.
Also, she is survived by eight nieces and nephews, six great-nieces and nephews, and an extended family of cousins and friends.
Additionally, her sister Natalia and her eldest niece, Diane Machado, would like to acknowledge Maria's long-term advocacy and caring support from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Hospice, and NAMI.
In Maria’s memory, the family asks to discuss and understand mental illness. To learn more or find support groups, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Massachusetts at 617-580-8541 or visit https://namimass.org.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023, at the Rogers Funeral Home, 380 Cambridge Street, in Cambridge, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with a prayer service in the funeral home at 12:30 PM.
Interment will follow at the Cambridge Cemetery.