Mrs. Lydia S. (Sousa) Borges

Lydia S. Borges, 100, the cherished mother of Eileen Borges passed at away peacefully at her home on Sunday October 24, 2021 after a long illness with her daughter and faithful cat by her side. She was the devoted wife of the late Edmund D. Borges for 58 years before his passing in 1998.

Born in Bristol, she was the daughter of the late Manuel and Augusta (Leal) Sousa.

Lydia was a graduate of Colt Memorial High School, class of 1938. She was a parishioner of St. Elizabeth's Church in Bristol where she was a member of the Holy Rosary Sodality. She marked her 100th birthday this February. That milestone was acknowledged kindly with cards from many members of the Holy Rosary Sodality for which she was very grateful. Lydia was an excellent cook and also enjoyed spending time in her garden especially her herb garden. Lydia had many other talents: sewing, tatting, knitting, crocheting, tole painting, stenciling, Nantucket basket making, both rug braiding and hooking, and more. She especially enjoyed going to antique auctions.

Besides her devoted daughter Eileen Borges of Bristol, Lydia is survived by five grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild.

Lydia was pre-deceased by her beloved husband Edmund, her parents, and her son Edmund D. Borges, Jr.

The family would like to send a special thank you to the Hope Hospice Nurses and Staff for their compassion and care.

Funeral services from the Sansone Funeral Home, 192 Wood Street, Bristol, Friday October 29, 2021 at 10 AM with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM at St. Elizabeth’s Church, 577 Wood Street, Bristol. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Chestnut Street, Bristol. Visiting hours will be Thursday October 28, 2021 from 4:00-7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Elizabeth’s Church, 577 Wood Street, Bristol. Or to Hope Hospice, 1085 North Main Street, Providence.








At four she lost her mother,
At sixteen, her father, too.
She married Edmund at eighteen
When she had a shoe size of only two….really!
At twenty she became my mother
Two years later we welcomed my brother.
We were blessed with two wonderful parents
We could not have wanted any other.
But Leedie has borne a bit in all these years,
Many with laughter, others with tears.
She’s seen the loss of all her kin…sans me,
Yet has kept up her perspective and her chin.
She was never one to seek the limelight,
But I think that now it is only right
To celebrate the 100 years of life
Of my mother: my friend, my mentor, a grand and great grandmother and wife.
Her talents were many, to that I can attest
A perfectionist in everything she did, she was just the very, very best.
The categories are legion: cooking, gardening, sewing, tatting, knitting,
   crocheting, decorative painting, stenciling, Nantucket Basket making,
   rug braiding and hooking and more
To create a cozy home, evident when you entered through its door.
And, reading the newpaper was a daily routine
Completing the crossword puzzle – in ink – was also part of the scene.
And, if perchance the spelling of a word did elude you
You could count on Leedie to solve that, too.
She worked with a comptometer which no longer is found
Replaced by the calculator….those keys she no longer had to pound.
All of that changed, though, in June of ’19,
That horrible word – stroke – changed the entire scene…
We were at home then, together, just as it should be
The creative hands and inquisitive mind forced to take a rest.
Enjoying quiet times and the fruits of her labor,
Sharing stories and special memories each day that went by
And continued to do so until God did decide
That her work here and struggles were finally done.
He made that decision, He needed her now
We will carry on, but I’m not sure how.
The heart and soul of our home has herself gone home.
Your suffering is over: I can only imagine what you’ll see
And that helps in our struggle to cope with the fact
That our mentor and friend, now in our past
Will nevertheless, and always, watch over me (and Mr. Pupi)
And fulfill what has been our lifelong mutual pact.
   Thanks for the memories, Leedie. I love you. (and Mr. P. does, too).

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