Frank Furtado

Frank Harold Furtado passed away on December 15, 2015, after a brief illness and a good, long life. He leaves behind his wife Deirdre (Gavigan) Furtado of Manchester Center; his only daughter, Carmel Furtado of Dorset; his godson, Drew Alexis of Long Beach, CA; and his favorite dog, Jujubee.Frank's family immigrated from the Azores to Bermuda, where Frank was born on July 17, 1933. He served in the Bermuda Rifles and received an honorable discharge in 1957. In 1958 he emigrated to Queens, New York with his first wife, Phyllis (Hayden) Furtado and daughter Carmel. Frank was handsome, with a great smile and he was kind to everyone he met. He loved to tell jokes, usually clean. He held many jobs and he did them all well. He was a tavern owner and a real estate agent. As a wholesale candy supplier he charmed the nuns in Immaculate Conception Parish into selling candy in the parochial school lunchroom. He also ran the church bazaar and St. Patrick's Day dance for the parish for several years. From 1970 until its closing in 1987, Frank managed the women's shoe department in Gimbels on 34th Street in Manhattan. He still had letters from customers, both famous and private, thanking him for his service in the days before the Internet. In 1980 he married Deirdre Gavigan from County Donegal in Ireland and they remained happily married for his lifetime. In 1988, he and Deirdre returned to Bermuda, where he managed the warehouse of an importing operation for Butterfield and Vallis until his retirement in 2001. In 2008 he and Deirdre decided to brave the cold to move to Vermont to be nearer to family.Frank loved all children and animals, music, cooking, travel, art, the community he lived in at Bourn Brook and being with family. He was "old school" all the way, a stoic Mets fan and daily reader of the New York Post. He was the quintessential New Yorker but with better manners. He was pre-deceased by his brother Joseph Figueirado in 2005. He is survived by his brothers, Manuel Furtado and Edward Figueirado, and his sister Virginia (Figueirado) Whayman, as well as nieces and nephews David, Deborah, Bonnie, Kelly, Andrew, Amanda, Marcus, Robin and Vincent. He will be missed by everyone whose lives he touched. Viewing hours will be held from 3-5pm on Sunday December 20 at Brewster-Shea Funeral Services, 34 Park Place Manchester, VT. A Catholic Mass will be held at 2pm on Monday December 21 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 398 Bonnet St., Manchester Center, VT. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Southwestern Vermont Health Care Foundation: www.svhealthcare.org/support-us/. Viewing hours will be held from 3-5pm on Sunday December 20 at Brewster-Shea Funeral Services, 34 Park Place Manchester, VT. A Catholic Mass will be held at 2pm on Monday December 21 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 398 Bonnet St., Manchester Center, VT.