Judite Gracinda Coutinho Tavares

Judite Gracinda Tavares (Coutinho), age 81, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts, surrounded by her loving family, with sunlight streaming in, after a brief illness.

Born on September 20, 1943, in Rio Pinto, Porto, Portugal, she was the daughter of the late Americo Ferreira Coutinho and Angelina De Jesus Azevedo Maia. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, Amarino Tavares, and her cherished daughter Carla, both of whom passed in 2019. Their absence was deeply felt, and the bond they shared will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved them.

As a young girl, Judite left Porto with her parents and siblings and moved to Mozambique, Africa, where she would later meet Amarino. Together, they began a beautiful family and eventually immigrated to the United States, settling in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they proudly became U.S. citizens.

Judite was the oldest of five siblings and the natural matriarch of her family. She is survived by her sisters, Odette and Manuela, of Massama, Portugal, and her brothers, Fernando and Agostinho, and his wife Eunice, of Chicopee, Massachusetts. Her role as a matriarch was a testament to her strength and leadership.

She worked as a seamstress before retiring early to focus on what mattered most to her -family. Judite never missed a milestone: graduations, band concerts, sports games, dance recitals -if you were on stage or the field, she was in the crowd, probably clapping the loudest. Her home was a living scrapbook, filled with photos of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and their spouses. There wasn’t an inch of wall or surface that didn’t proudly display the people she loved most.

Her family was the center of her universe. She never forgot a birthday (and would sing to you every year whether you liked it or not), and she was always the first to call, congratulate, show up, or offer help. Her grandchildren knew her as the one who took them to Pokémon tournaments and the one who made weekly McDonald’s kids nights feel like major events. She was also a familiar face at every dance recital, proudly cheering from the front row - often with a tear in her eye and a joke in her back pocket.

She was funny - often subtly, sometimes unexpectedly, and always memorably. She loved to tell jokes, and every once in a while, she’d drop one so wildly inappropriate it caught everyone off guard in the best way. She made people feel seen, celebrated, and at home. Even her neighbors felt like part of her extended family.

Though her roots were Portuguese, and she technically should have been called Avó, Judite felt she was far too young for that title. Instead, she chose to be called Nana -and not just by her grandchildren. Everyone called her Nana. She had that kind of spirit -instantly familiar and universally loved.

Judite is survived by her children, Marina Tavares-Emond and her husband, Brian Emond, of East Taunton, MA, and Joseph Tavares and his wife, Lenore, of New Bedford, MA. Her grandchildren include Teryn Catherine Gianunzio and her husband, Robert, of New Bedford, MA; Joshua Morgado and his wife, Nilia, of New Bedford, MA; Brandon Farias and his wife, Amber, of New Bedford, MA; Aaron Farias and his wife, Sara, of South Dartmouth, MA; and Chloe Ann Morgado of Amherst, MA. She also leaves behind three cherished great-grandchildren: Sophie Marie and Sebastian Farias of New Bedford, and Cora Grace Farias of South Dartmouth, who was born just days before her Nana passed. Although they never met, Cora will grow up surrounded by stories and reminders of how much her Nana loved her already.

She is also survived by several nieces and nephews who loved her dearly, and by three great-granddogs - Ember, Pierre, and Olivia - who adored their Nana unconditionally and were adored just as deeply in return.

Judite was predeceased by three beloved granddogs - Cosmo, Dolly, and Roxy - who surely greeted her in heaven, ready for cookies and eager to shower her with kisses.

Though our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in knowing she’s reunited with her husband, daughter, and parents.

Per her wishes, Judite’s services will be private. Instead of flowers, her family asks that you honor her memory by spending time with someone you love, sharing a favorite story of hers, or doing something kind for another person, just as she so often did.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Perry Funeral Home, located at 111 Dartmouth Street, New Bedford.