Lidia " Lily" C. (Fonseca) Araujo

Lidia C. (Fonseca) Araujo, also known as “Lily”, died peacefully at the Stillwater Assisted Living and Nursing Home in Greenville, RI on June 10, 2024. Lidia was the wife of the late Humberto Araujo, to whom she was married for 55 years.

Born in North Providence on August 8, 1942, Lidia was the daughter of the late Alphonse C. Fonseca and the late Mary (Pereira) Fonseca. She is survived by her daughter Lily A. Araujo of Cranston, RI; her son Mark Araujo and his wife Erica of Ocoee, FL; her sister Celeste F. Graham of Las Vegas, NV; her grandchildren Connor, Chase, Jackson, and Chloe; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Edward and Lubelia Medeiros; her godchildren, niece, nephews, and many cherished friends.

Lidia worked as an art teacher in the Cumberland school system for 42 years. Beloved as a teacher, she was known to care for her students as if they were her own, earning her the nickname “Ma” by her students. She appreciated and celebrated the visual and performing arts and worked with her colleagues and friends to get students involved in a student-run theatre production company and annual “galas” in which many community and school leaders performed alongside students. For many years, she taught in the former home economics classroom, giving her access to a kitchen in which she would cook meals for her friends, colleagues, and any students working in her classroom. She also put her creativity to use designing logos and lettering for various programs, organizations, and fundraisers.

Lidia loved to entertain, and along with her husband hosted many parties and gatherings at their home. Everyone was welcome in their home, and Lidia would be heard laughing and teasing her guests as she served endless amounts of food. Her laughter and her kindness will be missed.

Special thanks to the nurses and staffs at Stillwater Assisted Living & Nursing and at Beacon Hospice for the support and care they showed to Lidia and to her family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, June 14, 2024, at 10:00am in St. Mary of the Bay Church, 645 Main Street, Warren, RI. Burial will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 550 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Calling hours will be held Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 4:00pm-7:00pm in the Rebello Funeral Home, 901 Broadway, East Providence, RI.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lidia’s memory may be made to Beacon Hospice, Stillwater Assisted Living & Nursing Facility, or the Alzheimer’s Association.

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