Dolores A. Carreiro

Dolores A. Carreiro, affectionately known as Dee, Momma, and Momma Dee, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born on February 5, 1935, in Lemoore, California, she was 91 years old. The cherished daughter of the late Frank and Marie Lopes, Dee was preceded in death by her siblings John and Frank Lopes, and sisters Mary Lopes, Alice Carreiro, and Julia Mello. She is survived by her sister Lena Carreiro, her devoted children John (Karl Uri) Carreiro, Karen (John) Coghlan, and Kevin (Liza) Carreiro, her treasured grandchildren Justin (Melissa) Mendes and Holly (Kenneth) Serpa, and her adored great-grandchildren Alexander, Dominic, and Teddy Mendes, Caleb Serpa, and a great-granddaughter expected in July. She also leaves behind many nieces and nephews who brought her great joy.

Dee shared a loving marriage with her husband Louie Carreiro, whom she wed on September 22, 1962. Together they spent nearly 25 years building a life centered on family, faith, and community in Riverdale. A proud graduate of Riverdale High School, Class of 1952, she worked for 20 years as a gin clerk with Anderson Clayton Company before becoming bookkeeper for her husband and his brother at Carreiro Brothers Union 76 Station. She later worked for local farmers in the Riverdale area, held part-time positions at a local accounting office and St. Ann’s Catholic Church, and retired permanently in 2018.

A lifetime member of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Dee was deeply involved in parish life. With Louie, she organized many dinner-dances and church barbecues. She sang in the choir for more than 50 years and served as a lector and Eucharistic minister. She was also active in Portuguese fraternal societies and the Riverdale Chamber of Commerce and Spring Festival Committee, and in 2017 she was honored as the first female Grand Marshal of the Riverdale Spring Festival and Rodeo.

Dee found simple pleasures in playing solitaire, working word search puzzles, and reading. Her kindness, strength, and steadfast faith touched everyone who knew her. She faced her final illness with remarkable bravery, patience, and grace, leaving behind a legacy of love, dignity, and quiet service that will continue to inspire her family and all who were privileged to know her.