Elsie Mare Rodrigues

Elsie Mare Rodrigues, 88, a native of Aquidneck Island and more recently Columbus-Tryon, NC, was called Home peacefully on Saturday, September 22, 2012 while at the Elizabeth House in Western North Carolina surrounded by her loving family. Born on August 1, 1924 in Newport, RI, she was the daughter of the late Joao V. Mare and Maria (Resendes) Mare of Portsmouth, RI. Ms. Elsie was a native of Portsmouth, RI and was a retired telephone operator for Bell South and ATT. She was a very talented artist and master seamstress and was very active with 4-H in RI for many years.She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Karen Anne Milazzo and J. Tom Milazzo of Columbus-Tryon, NC, her grandsons Nathan John Milazzo and John Benjamin Milazzo both of Columbus-Tryon, NC, and her sister Evelyn Mare Schulz of Portsmouth, RI.She was preceded in death by her daughters, Janet Rodrigues Billingsley and Mary Jane Rodrigues; her granddaughter Jana C. Billingsley; her brothers, Manuel R. Mare formerly of Middletown, RI and Joseph V. Mare formerly of Portsmouth, RI; and two sisters, Mary M. Rodrigues formerly of Portsmouth, RI, and Vera Matose formerly of Middletown, RI. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2012, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00am in Jesus Savior Church, 1 Vernon Avenue, Newport, RI. An ecumenical memorial celebration of "Grammie" Elsie's life will be held Saturday, October 14 at 2pm at Shepherd Memorial Park in Hendersonville, N.C. and she will be laid to eternal rest surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and close by her North Carolina family and friends. In recognition of "Aunt Elsie's" love for people and animals, in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Four Seasons Compassion for Life, c/o 1489 Lynn Road, Columbus, NC 28722, or to the St. Vincent De Paul Society of Jesus Saviour Church, 1 Vernon Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, or to the Potter League for Animals, PO Box 412, Newport, RI 02840. Service OCT 6. 10:00 AM Jesus Savior Church Broadway at Vernon Ave Newport, RI, US, 02840