Esmeralda "Essie" Sousa died peacefully at home on Tuesday 4/11/2023 surrounded by her family in her final moments.

She was the wife of the late Arnold Sousa and they were married for 60 years. She is survived by her daughter and caregiver Ramona "Mona" DeRosier and her husband Bill; Granddaughter Crystal Viveiros, her husband John and Great Grandson Jackson; Grandson Alexander "Alec" DeRosier, his wife Samantha "Sam" and Great Granddaughter Charlotte Alice "Charlie" DeRosier and Great Grandson Oliver Kyle "Olly" DeRosier all from Cumberland. She was predeceased by her parents and both of her sisters. She leaves many nieces and nephews.

She was a communicant of Our Lady of Fatima and a very active member of the church. She was secretary for Father Barbosa when the church was located on Meeting St. She and her husband were active in the fund raising drive to build the church as it now stands on Fatima Drive. She sang in the choir and helped with the Christmas Bazaar by knitting beautiful sweaters.

She started working at Owens Corning Fiberglass in 1948 and retired after 38 years. During that time, she studied to become a Librarian so the Chemists could have a library, took computer courses in the DOS system in order to convert microfiche documents into the digital format. She also sewed clothing and test drapery panels in the different weaves and finishes that Fiberglass was developing. Known as 'The Betsy Ross of Fiberglass' she made an American Flag that was included in a pool of flags from across the country. From that pool, one flag was chosen at random to be placed by the astronauts on the moon. Whose flag is it? Is it hers? No one knows.

She attended Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I. and received her Associate Degree in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude. After moving to South Carolina to stay with Owens Corning Fiberglass to open the new lab as Administrative Assistant, she attended Limestone College in Gaffney S.C. and achieved her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude.

It took a lifetime to achieve her goal of getting her degree in Business Administration and in her words "just in time for me to retire!"
She enjoyed traveling with her late husband. They traveled to the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii and also cruised to Alaska and Nova Scotia. .They enjoyed road trips to Ocala, Florida to see lifelong friends Henry and Eva Santos. Her hobbies included Knitting, Crocheting , sewing and reading the Bible. Her favorite saying…"do you need a bag?"

Essie's intense personality was born out of never wanting anyone to fail and wanting to see them succeed.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to Esmeralda's Life Celebration to be held with Visiting Hours on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 4 to 7PM and continue on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 10 AM in the J. J. Duffy Funeral Home, 757 Mendon Road, Rt. 122, Cumberland. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 AM at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Cumberland. Burial will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904.