On the evening of January 3, 2025, Natalia Botelho Avelar slipped away peacefully in the company of her daughters, Helena and Paula.
Natalia was born on February 10, 1936, in the parish of Santo Antonio, Sao Miguel, Açores. She was the second of seven children, Constantina the eldest, and João, Manuel, Antonio, Eduarda, and José following.
In those years, life in the Açores was difficult and families made the most out of the very little they had. Wanting better opportunities for his growing family, Natalia’s father moved them to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, the capital of the Açores archipelago where they had more opportunities to study and work…