Maria Rosa Nunes, 91, of West Hartford, widow of Antonio Nunes and matriarch of a far-flung family, died Saturday (Feb. 28, 2015) in West Hartford after a short illness. She was born July 10, 1923, in Lajes, Gaula, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, one of ten children of José Jorge “Mariana” de Freitas and Virginia de Gouveia. As a young embroiderer, she met and married the love of her life, Antonio, a hard-working farmer from the neighboring village of Fazendinha, and with three children in tow, they embarked on a new life together in America in 1955, settling in Hartford. There she gave birth to three more children – six in eight years, almost exactly to the day – and while poor financially, she raised them in the enduring richness of love – love of God, love of family, and love of all others, regardless of their station in life. “Crackling Rosie,” as her children affectionately called her, dispensed her love with equal measure of discipline when needed. For years she proudly worked as a cleaning woman at Aetna Life & Casualty to help the family make ends meet while also expanding her network of dear friends, many of whom knew her as “Senhora Rosa.” As her children grew to raise families of their own, she and her husband of 61 years hosted regular family feasts that further embroidered the rich tapestry of family bonds that grew to span four generations. Even in retirement, when she and her husband split their time between their homes in West Hartford and their beloved Madeira, she doted on her treasured grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carrying on her legacy are her three sons and their spouses: Joseph F. “Joe” Nunes and Lois Elsesser of West Hartford; Joseph A. “Tony” Nunes and Fatima ”Tina” Placido Nunes, also of West Hartford; and Luis. M. Nunes and Martha Raspanti Nunes of Unionville; two daughters, Maria Deka of Newington and Aurora Nunes of Attleboro, Mass.; 15 grandchildren:Treena Deka Mazzotta and her husband Vincent Mazzotta of Haddam; Jason Deka of West Hartford; Jesse Nunes and his wife Donna Tolson Nunes of Abington, Mass.; Shane Deka of Newington, Aaron J. Nunes-Zaller of Orlando, Fla., Bianca Chen Nunes and her husband Brian Chen of Washington, D.C., Dawn Karas Jackle and her husband Chris Jackle of Simsbury, Alex Nunes and his wife Stacey Jackson of Westerly, R.I., Steven Nunes of West Hartford, Elisa Zaller Nunes of Orlando, Andréa Nunes of Unionville, and John Karas, Michael Nunes, Sarah Rose Nunes and Daniel Nunes, all of West Hartford.; nine great-grandchildren: Kyla, Mason and Ava Mazzotta, all of Haddam; Taylor and Rachel Deka, both of West Hartford; Olivia and Nicholas Nunes, both of Abington, Mass.; Julian Nunes of Westerly, and Conrad Jackle of Simsbury. The last survivor in her birth family, Rosa also was predeceased by her husband Antonio in 2011 and her daughter Theresa in 2003. Calling hours are Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Ave., West Hartford. A funeral procession will depart from there Saturday at 9 a.m. for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 50 Kane St., Hartford. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Memorial donations may be made to Our Lady of Fatima Church. Online condolences may be offered at www.sheehanhilbornbreen.com.