Obituaries

Jaime de Medeiros Barbosa, two weeks shy of 91 years of age,
of Burnaby, BC, passed away peacefully at home on October 17, 2021,
surrounded by his loved ones. Jaime was born on November 1, 1930 in
Pedreira do Nordeste, Sao Miguel, Portugal to Teotonio Medeiros Barbosa
and Maria da Luz Barbosa. He was their eldest son of six children, Lydia,
Arnold, Aida, Alice and Margaret. He is survived by his beloved wife of 60
years, Maria Ines Barbosa. Together they had three children, Lucia, Rita
and Francisco. He adored his grandsons, Francisco’s children, Carter and
Lukas, and was very proud to have Mark (Rita’s husband) and daughter
Jordan as part of our family. In May 1953, Jaime blazed the trail for all
Portuguese immigrants by being selected as the first organized contingent
of Portuguese immigrants to travel on the inaugural journey across the
Atlantic Ocean on the Italian liner Saturnia to begin a new life in Canada.
Jaime was handpicked from thousands of applications in Portugal, with only
a few selected having to pass rigorous medical examinations and interviews.
These amazing Portuguese pioneers persevered and soon developed their own employment networks and courageously paved the way for others to join them.
This achievement has been recognized by both the Canadian and Portuguese governments with acknowledgements also being housed in the Sao Miguel
and Halifax Immigrant Museums. Jaime was an orchardist in Oliver, BC
for over 30 years. Upon retirement, he moved back to the Lower Mainland,
closer to the salt water and extended family, where he enjoyed life at a more
relaxed pace. He played guitar at the Portuguese Cultural Centre of BC, fished,
camped, enjoyed cooking and eating good food and doting on his pets. He
cherished spending time with his family and good friends. He also loved
listening to Portuguese music, travelling and simply taking in the ocean air.
Jaime was also very creative and invented many ‘interesting’ personal gadgets
as a hobby. He was known for his strong work ethic, gregarious laugh, and
friendly personality. Notably, he always acknowledged the many blessings he
received through the love of his devoted family and friends. Most importantly,
he loved God with all his heart. You will be greatly missed, beloved husband,
father, grandfather, brother, courageous pioneer and friend to many. Funeral
Service for Jaime Barbosa will be held on: Monday, November 1, 2021 at
10:30am Our Lady of Fatima Portuguese Parish Address: 1423 E 13th Ave.,
Vancouver, BC A private Celebration of Life for family members to follow
at 1:00 pm at the Portuguese Cultural Centre of BC. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made in Jaime Barbosa’s name to: The Heart & Stroke
Foundation or the SPCA.