PLAINVILLE – Maureen J. Souza, 82, of Sunset Acres passed away Friday evening, May 7, 2021 at home surrounded by her loving family.  She was the wife of the late John F. Souza who died in 2005 after 46 years of marriage.

Born December 23, 1938 in Boston, she was a daughter of the late Edmond F. and Maureen J. (Wolfe) Gildea.

Maureen grew up in Somerville and was a 1957 graduate of Somerville High School.  She lived in Tucson, AZ for 14 years and Palm Springs, CA for 7 years before moving to Plainville in 2011.

She worked in retail throughout her career, working as an executive secretary at Lord & Taylor at the South Shore Mall in Braintree for ten years and also as a cosmetic consultant for several years.

When she lived in Tucson, she owned and operated “Maureen’s Herbal Crafts”.

She loved crafts, particularly sewing, and enjoyed cooking.  She was devoted to her Catholic faith and was a communicant of St. Francis Church in Tucson and then St. Martha’s Parish in Plainville.  Maureen’s favorite moments were spent with her family, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her three children: John F. Souza, Jr. and wife Monique of Canton, Karen Souza Cowgill and husband Jim of Norton and Renee Wassersug and husband Steve of Plainville;

Seven grandchildren: Monet, Michael, Patrick, Daniel, Matthew, Brian and John and a great-grandson, Luke.

Her siblings: Ellen Stordy and her husband Robert of Medford and Edmund Gildea and his wife Mary of Burlington, and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her sister Janet Gildea.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, May 13 from 5-8 p.m. at Sperry & McHoul Funeral Home, 15 Grove Street, North Attleboro.

A funeral will be held from the funeral home on Friday, May 14 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a funeral Mass at St. Martha Parish, 227 South Street (Route 1a), Plainville at 10:30 a.m. and burial to follow at St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery, Bridgewater.

 To make a reservation to attend Maureen's funeral Mass at St. Martha's Church, please visit https://bit.ly/3eBIUGp.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at www.IPFFoundation.org.