Manuel F Gomes (affectionately known as Lela D' Iaia) was born on September 20, 1933 in São Vicente Cabo Verde, he passed on December 2, 2021 at home with is wife of 53 years, Maria Do Rosario Gomes in Pawtucket, RI.
He was the beloved son of Faustino Inacio Gomes (deceased) and Joana Maria Monteiro known as Iaia (deceased). He was their third born child and he survived all his siblings: João Gomes, Aurora Monteiro Rodrigues, Paulina Monteiro, and Miguel Gomes.
He was named Manuel F. Gomes, but he was known as Lela D’Iaia, or Tio Lela, and later in life as he became more comfortable as a grandfather, Palela.
He was the father of:
Jorge J. Pereira of Pawtucket, RI, Faustian Gomes Mariconte with her husband Alfredo Mariconte of São. Vicente, Cabo Verde, Manuel J. Pereira (Naiss) of São Vicente, Cabo Verde, Filomena Roberto Gomes of East Providence, RI, Lana Dias with her husband Jose Augusto Dias of Pawtucket RI, and Angela Gomes of Pawtucket, RI.
He is survived by many grandchildren:
Jorge Adilson Pereira, Edson Francisco Pereira, Claudia Pereira, Josymar Pereira, Omar Pereira, Lucia Pereira Fonseca, Rosangela Pereira, Josimar Pereira, Tiziana Monteiro Soraya Gomes, Vanessa Rosa and Savanna Rosa
And great-grand children:
Cindy Fonseca, Olivia Rose, Javianny Pereira, Christopher Pereira, Fabiana Pereira, Fabio Pereira, Kemani Pereira, Rayr Pereira, Azalea Pereira, Joseph Pereira and Andreas Rosa his ball-playing buddy.
Early years…
He joined the military at age 16 and lived in Republic of Angola, Southern Africa for his military career.
Lela lived as a sailor/merchant maritime sailor for many years sailing for Nedlloyd, a Dutch shipping company in Holland. He left Cabo Verde in 1963 to move to Holland with nothing more then a good work ethic and a hope for his children to have more then he did.
Hi lived between Holland, the US and Cabo Verde from 1963-1986 when he moved to the US permanently to live with his wife Maria Do Rosario. The life of a sailor is not easy and he spent 9 of the 12 months at sea. This took him away from his wife and children. As a sailor, his reports were all gleaming and positive from his captains. He never had formal education as a sailor, but he had on the job experience. He has been on every continent and traveled the world over more then once and has many stories about his travels.
In the US he worked in some jobs, as a maintenance worker at Summit Medical Center for 11 years, and at International Packaging until he retired in 1998.
If you asked him what he did for a living, he was a trained carpenter who loved to build things. If you asked him his professional goal dream, he would have told you if he had come to the US as a young person, he would have studied engineering.
Upon retiring, he and Rosario lived a simple life as a couple with a routine you could set a watch to. He had to step up as care taker to Rosario in the past 8 years and they did everything together from food shopping, to cooking meals, and in the last few years, diaper-changing to his great grandchild and transporter to and from daycare.
As a grandfather, he enjoyed his grandchildren and had a unique way to show love. Anyone grandchild and he extended this to a niece or nephew of Lela, would have known that if he saw you, you would be getting a Kit Kat from him. He felt growing up as a child of depression, it was important for kids to have treats such as chocolate; Kit Kat was his favorite treat to give away and this was his love language.
At one point, he also started delivering fresh Portuguese bread on Sundays to family’s home for breakfast. Just something he took on to show how he cared.
His legacy….
Lela loved more then anything to keep in touch with friends and family. He would daily call his family and friends, at least weekly if not monthly. He would call family and friends in the US and abroad and ask “How are you today?” Sometimes these calls only lasted two minutes, but he would call and check up on you. If he knew your birthday, you were getting a birthday call and if he did not hear from you, he call you back and say “I called you on such a day at such a time, I am waiting to hear from you”. If he knew you had surgery, or knew you were sick, you were getting a call, if you had a death, you were getting a call, just to hear your voice, you were getting a call.
Lela was a good husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. He was friendly and kind and he would take the time to acknowledge you, even stranger on the street. He would offer you a chin up, or a firm solid handshake, as he looked you in the eye and greeted you. He always dressed up for special occasions with a button up shirt and tie, and do not forget his signature baseball cap on a regular basis.
He will be missed.


Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation on Tuesday, December 7th from 5:00 – 8:00pm at Keefe Funeral Home, Five Higginson Ave., Lincoln, RI. Funeral will begin at 9:00am on Wednesday, December 8th at Keefe Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Swan Point Cemetery, 1585 Blackstone Blvd., Providence.
There will be a early lunch following the burial at Riviera Restaurant 580 North Broadway East Providence, RI 02914.