Maria Carmelia Mendes
May 23, 1935 – June 11, 2022
Maria Carmelia Mendes, loving wife and mother, passed away on June 11, 2022 at the age of 87. Known to her family and friends as Carmelia, she was born on May 23, 1935 on the island of Corvo, Azores, Portugal. Carmelia married John B. Mendes in 1957. They immigrated to the USA in 1958 and resided in Modesto, Oakdale, and Turlock. They raised five children.
Carmelia was preceded in death by her father and mother, Pedro and Genoveva Pimentel; her brother, Adrian Pimentel; and by her disabled daughter, Mary Lou Mendes, for whom she lovingly cared for forty-nine years.
She is survived by her husband John B. Mendes; four children and their spouses: John A. Mendes (Heidi), David Mendes (Bobbie), Michael Mendes (Wendy), and Lisa Heidman (Eric); nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; her sister, Judite Mendes and her brother, Januario Pimentel.
She was a faithful member of several Catholic church parishes in Oakdale and Turlock. Carmelia and John served for several years as the Treasurer for the Oakdale Festa do Espirito Santo organization.
