Joseph daRosa, Sr.

Life Story Joseph Dutra daRosa, 80, died Friday, April 29, at a local hospital, following a brief illness. Joe was born on September 29, 1935 in Faial, Azores Portugal. He lived on the island until the age of 23 when he moved to the United States and settled in Newport, RI. There, he married Mary Fatima daRosa, also from Faial, on May 28, 1960. One year later they welcomed a son, Joseph Dutra Jr. Soon the young family moved to San Jose, CA where they welcomed a second son, Manuel Dutra. There Joe worked hard to support his family, spending most of his adult life as a drywall contractor. In San Jose, he was very involved in the Portuguese community and was an active member of St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Parish. He was also a youth soccer coach and enjoyed spending time with his family, camping and fishing in Half Moon Bay. In 1978, Joseph moved his family to Meridian, ID where he continued to work as a drywall contractor. Joseph and Mary became very active members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, later becoming Holy Apostles Catholic Church. Joseph served as a Eucharistic minister for many years, delivering communion to the elderly in local nursing homes. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Joe was a an avid golfer and he and Mary were very involved in men's and women's leagues at Cherry Lane Golf Course and enjoyed playing different courses throughout the region. Later in life Joe was able to share his love of the game with his four grandchildren. Joseph had an incredibly strong faith which served him well when his son, Manny became ill and later his wife, Mary. He became their primary caregiver, caring for them with compassion and complete devotion. Joseph's greatest joy came from his family, especially his grandchildren. He loved supporting all of their endeavors, be it sports, music, or theatre. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Anna and Anthony daRosa; sister, Mary; wife, Mary; son, Manny; and grandson, Kade. He is survived by his son, Joe (Julie) daRosa; granddaughters: Matea (Joe) Schindel, Eva and Emma daRosa; and brothers: Ed (Celia) daRosa and Manuel (Maria) daRosa. A Rosary service will be held at 9:15 AM followed by the Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at Holy Apostles Catholic Church, 6300 N. Meridian Rd. Remembrances may be left for the family at www.AccentFuneral.com. Services are under the direction of Accent Funeral Home, Meridian. *See Service Information Page*