JOAO (JOHN) AMARAL

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JOAO (JOHN) AMARAL It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Joao (John) Amaral on January 25, 2014, aged 81 years, at St. Joseph's Residence in Winnipeg. He is survived, and will be dearly missed, by his wife of 56 years, Aida; his sons, Rui, John, and Marc; his brother, Humberto; four grandchildren, Rebeka, Stefan, Philip and Genevieve, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was born in Vila Franca do Campo, Azores, Portugal and served in the Portuguese military prior to immigrating to Canada with his family in 1973. He worked for many years at Sullivan Strong Scott, in Winnipeg, to support his family. He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed swimming, boating and soccer. In the latter, he was both a participant and an accomplished coach, taking the Maritimo Football Club to a successful championship. He was also an enthusiastic fan of his favourite soccer club and hockey team, Sporting Clube de Portugal, and the Montreal Canadiens, respectively. Later in life, he enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening and became proficient enough to coax the occasional watermelon to grow during the short Winnipeg growing season. Another lifelong passion was his love of literature and language, and he much enjoyed a well-turned phrase. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and friend, and above all, as a loving and generous grandfather. The family wishes to thank the staff at Seven Oaks Hospital for their assistance, and would especially like to extend their appreciation to the wonderful staff at St. Joseph's Residence for the exceptional care that they provided. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Rosary Church, 510 River Ave., on January 31, 2014, with Fr. Sam Argenziano officiating. For those who would like to meet with the family, they will be present from 10:00 a.m. at the church. Entombment will follow at Assumption Cemetery, 3990 Portage Ave.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 28, 2014