Joao Manuel Goncalves Ferreirinha

Joao Manuel Goncalves Ferreirinha

Born June 4, 1942, in the village of Terceira Lombada on the beautiful garden island of Madeira. Here is where he was raised, where he would always return, and where a part of him always remains.

He lived the course of his 83 years on 3 continents as a farmer, transit ticket collector, travelling salesman, train conductor, builder of buildings, repairer of bridges.

In Angola he fell in love and started and family. In Canada he expanded and raised his family.

Husband of the late Maria Manuela (nee Caires de Sousa), Father of Sandra and Paula, Grandfather of Troy, Aidan and Sadie, and Great Grandfather of Milaina.

Those that knew him knew him to be the hardest working person they had ever met. His physical strength was only surpassed by his character, and his sheer will, which each year of old age despite all his health issues was a testament.

He found contentment in the simple things: a vegetable garden, a project on the go in the garage or shed, and preparing and sharing a Sunday roast with his family.

A handshake was a legal contract. He chose silence over harsh words and gossip. Otherwise, he was a conversationalist of so many words, talking to anyone and everyone, language barrier or not, about almost everything and anything in his friendly way.

His knowledge was encyclopedic not from the privilege of a formal education but as the result of a curious and attentive mind and an awe of the world.

One of the last things he wrote in his meticulous cursive was “I have become forgetful, but the light comes and I remember”. And so it was until he passed on October 12, 2025.

May that light not fade so we too can always remember.

A Memorial Visitation will be held at Westminster Funeral & Reception Centre (5826 Bathurst St. between Finch and Steeles on the west side), located on the grounds of Westminster Cemetery (5830 Bathurst St.). After the long driveway, it is the first building on your left. The family will receive guests on Saturday November 22, 2025 from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm with interment to follow at York Cemetery (160 Beecroft Rd, North York, ON M2N 1W7)