Edmund S. Pereira, a longtime resident of East Providence, passed away peacefully at the Village at Waterman Lakes on December 23, 2018. Ed was born in Cumberland, RI on August 1, 1921 to Joaquim and Emily (Gil) Pereira and was married to Jean F. (McAdams) Pereira for 69 happy years. Before his retirement, he was an award-winning sales agent for Prudential Insurance.
Ed served in the Civilian Conservation Corp and was a WWII veteran of the US Army Air Corps where he proudly served as a flight engineer on a B-24 four engine bomber, participating in 26 missions in the European theater. He was awarded the EAMET Campaign Medal with 5 Bronze Stars and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters. Ed was an active participant in civic life and had been a member of many organizations, including St. Francis Xavier Church, Citizens Concerned for Human Progress, Inc., Self Help, Inc., Holy Ghost Beneficial Brotherhood of RI, Holy Name Society and Prince Henry Club and the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
He was elected to the RI State Legislature in 1986 and served for three terms, during which he was a member of the Science, Technology and Re Planning Committee, the Commission Relating to Guardianship of the Elderly, and the RI Lottery Commission. For many years, Ed and Jean spent winters in Greenacres FL where he indulged his love of golf and socializing and made many lifelong friends. Ed was a committed and enthusiastic Red Sox fan and delighted in watching, criticizing, and discussing his beloved Sox.
He adored his five children and his seven granddaughters and was a loving great grandfather to John, Charlotte, and Walter Edelman, Ginny and Finn Van Splunder, Roxanne and Leon Green, and Orrin Berg. In addition to his beloved wife, Jean, Ed is survived by his daughters Donna Pereira (the late C. Drew Morten) of San Antonio, TX and Carol Lothrop of Portsmouth, NH, his sons Edmund Pereira (Nancy) of East Providence, Ken Pereira (Dianna) of Cranston, and Tom Pereira (Jody) of Foster. He will be deeply missed by grandchildren Amelia Edelman (Christopher), Shannon Van Splunder (Gregg), Kerri Lothrop, Nikki Pereira, Kayleigh Pereira, Courtney Berg (Tyler), and Emily Pereira.
Ed was also very close to nephew Doug and Deb Pereira, Colleen Rossi and leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. His funeral will begin Saturday, Dec. 29, at 9am from the Rebello Funeral Home and Crematory, 901 Broadway, East Providence, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10am in St. Francis Xavier Church, 81 No.
Carpenter St., East Providence. Burial with military honors will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Calling hours will be Friday, 4pm until 7pm.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are greatly appreciated to St. Francis Xavier Church. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Edmund Pereira, please visit our Tribute Store.
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