Passed away peacefully at home on Thursday 27th June 2024, surrounded by family.

Beloved wife of the late Luis Mariano Gomes. Loving mother of Owen/Isa Gomes (Atlanta, US) and MaryAnn/Jude Rodrigues (Windsor, Canada). Grandmother of Melissa, Chris/Megumi, Andre, late Theresa, and Mark. Great grandmother of Anthony and Elodie. Sister of the late Santos/Queenie DeSouza and the late Leo/Dolly DeSouza. Sister-in law of Sebita (Basha)/late Daniel, late Gracy/late John, Guilherme/Elma, late Sarto/Flora. Dear friend of Anna Mendonca (MiraMar, Goa) and Vicky Hrywkiw (Windsor, Canada).

Magda lived and worked in Tanzania (Tanga & Dar), India (Goa), US (MN & GA) and Canada (Windsor). She leaves a legacy of kindness, friendship, and love – a blessing and a treasure to those that knew her.

Details for Tuesday, July 9

• Visitation at 9-9:30am at Georgia Funeral Care, 4671 South Main Street, Acworth GA 30101.
• Rosary and Words of Remembrance (eulogy) at 10:30am (US est) / 8pm (IST), St Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 6301 Cedarcrest Road, Acworth GA 30101
• Funeral Mass at 11am (US est) / 8:30pm (IST), St Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 6301 Cedarcrest Road, Acworth GA 30101.
• Livestream link: https://youtube.com/@stclareacworth/streams Select ‘Live’ option/tab.
• Burial at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Cemetery, 2950 North Cobb Parkway, Kennesaw GA 30152 following the mass.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to ‘Save a Family Plan’ at https://safp.org/contact-us or to ‘3Ls Mission (least, last & lost students)’ a grassroots charity in Goa, India by emailing gomesatl@gmail.com.

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Eulogy by MaryAnn Rodrigues:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

I chose these biblical verses because they truly capture the essence of my mother’s life.

I could speak of mum’s many talents and accomplishments as she began her career as a schoolteacher in Tanzania and retired with the insurance industry in Minnesota. However, I prefer to focus on how she chose to live her life. My mum was first and foremost a woman of prayer and of sacrifice.

I can picture her in the 60’s in our tiny apartment in Dares Salaam, eyes closed, and head bent in prayer. Later, in her post retirement years, she would often be seen, seated in a rocker and praying.

My mum by example, taught me the power of a praying mother, relative and friend and I witnessed firsthand how her trust in God brought peace to challenging situations.

Although my mum made many moves in her life, her final move to a Senior facility in Vermont at age 90 was worrisome. I don’t doubt that she prayed over this decision, and we were astonished to find her thriving with new friends who described her as uplifting and inspirational.

I shared this unexpected outcome with a friend, and this is how she responded, ‘Like Mary, your mum embraced God’s mission; she went ‘in haste’ to a mountain town in Vermont.’

Mum may have been 90, but as Bishop Barron would have explained, my mother understood and accepted her role in the Theo drama, the great play which God directs.

In today’s world, adjectives like organized, detailed and analytical are held in high regard. My mum was none of these, and by today’s standards would have been judged as having a marginal chance of success. But mum was very successful, for God provided by creating her with a heart that was industrious, supportive, fiercely loyal and dependable as a coworker, relative or friend.

She always had a listening ear, never forgot those who helped her in any way, nor did she forget those who were less fortunate than her.

My mum taught me many things, but I have chosen two that I wish to share.

The first is to live in the present. Mum never dwelled on her past and she understood that her future was for God to control.

At 88 years of age, she embraced the new world that the smart phone opened to her and was a huge fan of What’s App, You Tube and Flight Radar.

The second is to rejoice in the ‘ordinary’. Mum cherished simple encounters and often recalled how blessed she was for the opportunity to take a walk with her then 2-year-old great grandson, his tiny hand clasped in her larger arthritic one.

St Augustine said that Faith is to believe what we cannot see. The reward of this faith is to see what we believed.

Mum, you are loved and will always be missed, but we are consoled, trusting that you now see what you believed.