John E. Neves

John Edward Neves passed away on April 25, 2009 quietly at his home after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his devoted wife, Maria Lourdes (Melim), who was his dedicated caregiver while in VNA Hospice in the comfort of his home for the past two years.

An only child of the late Elvira (Gallego) and Manuel Neves, he was born in Lowell, MA in 1926, and as a young child moved to Madeira Island, Portugal with his parents.
The family returned to Lowell in 1932, where John was an active member of St. Anthony's Church and their Marching Band, playing both the mandolin and the trumpet. He was educated in the Lowell public schools, and graduated from Lowell High School in 1944.

John joined the Navy, serving during WWII upon the USS Antietam, where, as part of her first crew, was honored with a Plankmanship. Honorably discharged as Yeoman Second Class, John returned to Lowell, moving to the upper-Highlands where he lived the rest of his life.

He attended the MA School of Pharmacy, leaving his studies to work with his uncle John Gallego at Johnnie's Cafe on back Central Street, which he purchased a few years later. He had numerous loyal customers, many of whom became good friends. John was always proud of being a union-wage employer and in treating his employees with generosity and benefits in an era when this was not always the norm. The business closed in May, 1984, taken by the City of Lowell under eminent domain, to make way for road reconstruction from the Lowell Connector to the now Doubletree Hotel. John loved his Caf� and always felt very fortunate to have had a profession that brought him so much pleasure and joy.
He had been a member of the 100 Club, the Lowell Elks, the American League of Veterans, and the Retired Veterans Association. He was an avid Red Sox fan and was thrilled to see them break the curse and win the World Series twice. During his retirement he enjoyed helping his elder friends by bringing them to their Doctor appointments, treating them to Red Sox games at Fenway Park, restaurants, ''Sunday drives'', and simply spending time with them.

John is survived, and deeply missed, by his only child and son-in-law, Maureen (Neves) and Celestino ''Sal'' Caires of Tyngsboro, and his two grandchildren- the lights of his life - Adam Neves Caires and Risa Neves Caires.

He is also survived by his only living first cousin, Doris (Gallego) and her husband Robert Shaughnessy of South Carolina and No. Hampton Beach, NH, and her two children, Brian and Donna; his brother-in-law Manuel Melim of Lowell; sister-in-law Isabel Bello of Lowell and her daughters: Dolly Sturman, her children William Sturman Esq. and Kirsten and her husband Eduardo Martinez - Joan Bello, her children Jessica Canada, her sons and daughter, and Jason Walsh - Judith and her husband Robert Wagner; brother-in-law George and his wife Mary Melim of Winter Park, FL and their daughter Christine; sister-in-law Constance and her husband James Sweeney of Lowell and their sons James Sweeney, PhD and his wife Verne, and Robert Sweeney; brother in-law Anthony Melim of Lowell. He also leaves his very dear friends Harold Kecy, Fred and Phyllis Machado, Marilyn Perry, Dick and Virginia Roberto, Dave Shaughnessy, Bill Sturman and Peter Vergados.
John was the brother-in- law of Patricia Melim who passed away in 2009 and the uncle of Daniel Bello who passed away in 1983.

John always said: ''I've lived a good life.'' Throughout his life his generosity towards both family and friends was admirable. He is carrying this trait forward in death as his wish was to participate in the Anatomical Donor Program through Harvard Medical School in order to help further the education and research of our future physicians.