On Sunday, January 17, 2021, heaven gained an amazing angel. Emerizialina Monteiro Moreira of Pawtucket, RI, loving daughter, sister, aunt, niece and goddaughter, was a passenger in a fatal accident on that Saturday that ultimately resulted in her untimely death, at the Rhode Island Hospital, at the early age of 25.
Emerizialinalina, known as “Leandra”, to her family and “Emmy”, to her friends and colleagues, was born on October 7, 1995 in Picos, Santiago, Cape Verde to Pedro Semedo Moreira and Lina Monteiro Tavares. She also precedes: her four sisters; Claudina, Veronica and her three daughters Adeanna, Tiana, and Alexa, Madaline, and
Ereka; her brother Emanuel and his daughter Emmalina, her sister-in-law Kimberly Hogan and her son, Kevan; her aunt and uncle Eduarda and David Pabon, and her cousin Emily, leaving many, many other aunts, uncles, and cousins in Cape Verde behind; her two godmothers, Celita Landim and Maria Rosario; and finally her best friend Vanda DeBrito.
She graduated from Shea High School in June of 2013 and on May 11, 2019 she received her degree in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and Advertisement from Rhode Island College. She didn’t know how, but with this degree she planned to change the world in a way that would help everyone. She was notably known on campus for the work she did in the Upward Bound office as well as the office of the RIC Alumni Association. She started at Shaw’s as a teenager and not surprisingly, she was continuously excelling and moving up in her positions. Most recently, she was working in HR as a Personal Coordinator. She had recently begun to embark on a career change, but in the meantime, her last place of work was at the Living Well Adult Day Center, where she did administrative work. She dreamed of working in Public Relations.
The core of Emerizia’s passions was to help others. She devoted her life to ensuring the happiness of others, over her own. She yearned to leave behind a legacy, not to be known, but so that she may have an everlasting helpful impact even on the lives of those yet to come.
In addition, she enjoyed taking runs, especially at the Boulevard. She enjoyed traveling and music as well. She was highly spiritual, she would enjoy doing yoga as well as meditation. She was also a devout catholic, teaching CCD classes at the Immaculate Heart of Mary, her main church, on the weekends.
She was known for her positive energy, the way she could bring light into any dark room. She was silly, optimistic and angelic. She exuded a peaceful aura, the kind that is still being felt amongst her loved ones today. She was overly aware of the disparities of our world, and it was her dream to make the world a better place. Now she can rest peacefully knowing that her just being present in our lives already did that. To know her was honestly to truly love her and she will never be forgotten.