Mateus V. Martins

Mateus V. Martins, 54, beloved husband and father from Pelham, NH, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, June 3 at Saints Memorial Hospital in Lowell.
Mateus, son of the late Joseph A. and Maria A. (Viera) Martins, was born in Terceira, Azores, Portugal on September 13, 1959 and immigrated to the United States in 1967, settling in the Lowell area. He began working at "Frank's Fish Market" on Central Street in 1974, eventually taking ownership in 1982. The store became known "Martins Fish & Produce", where Mateus worked the rest of his days, becoming a fixture of the back-central neighborhood and a friend to many. He met the love of his life, Isilda (Linhares) Martins, in 1984 and the couple would have celebrated their 29thwedding anniversary in December.
While short in number, there was no shortage of life to his years. Mateus was a member of Saint Anthony's Church Parish in Lowell, as well as the Holy Ghost Society, and the Holy Trinity Society (of which he was one of the founding members). He loved music and could often be found playing his guitar or accordion at many Portuguese festivals and events. In particular, he was known throughout greater Boston and northern Rhode Island as an aficionado and active participant of the Carnaval dances in the area. He was an avid sports fan, supporting all the local area teams – particularly the Patriots. He could often be found attending live games or passionately debating stats and game results with other fans. He enjoyed traveling, spending as much time as he could in Portugal and Florida. But above all, he loved spending time with his family, a great source of joy and pride for him.
Besides his wife, Mateus will be sadly missed by his children – his son Mateus V. Martins, Jr. and his fiancée Marilyn Teles, and his daughter Stephanie Martins, both of Pelham; two brothers – Joseph A. Martins, Jr. and his wife Maria of Tewskbury, and John V. Martins and his wife Helen of Lowell; a brother in law – Jorge Linhares of Terceira; three sisters in law – Nelia Carvalho and her husband Raul, Lina Fagundes and her husband Alcindo, and Livia Leal and her husband Joao, all of Terceira; an uncle – Manuel Nunes of Dracut; an aunt – Margarida Areias of Lowell; six nieces, three nephews, three great-nieces, a great-nephew, many cousins, and countless friends.