Lourdes Porta (née Lopes), aged 72, of Naples, FL, formerly of Northvale, NJ, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. She leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion as the beloved wife of Ilario Porta for 50 years and as the mother to their four children.
Lourdes was the cherished mother of Florence Vitale and her husband Thomas, Beatriz Negron and her husband Joel, Elizabeth Porta and James Schoenleber, and Augustino Porta and his wife Mia. She was a proud and doting grandmother to Gianna, Joseph, Angelo, Jace, Ava Maria, and Matteo. She was predeceased by her parents, Maria Pacheco Lopes and Orlando Lopes, and is survived by her four sisters, Aurora, Cristina, Soraia, Monica, and her brother Tadeu, along with their families.
In 1974, during a visit to see her cousin in the United States, Lourdes met her future husband and the love of her life, Larry. They settled in the suburbs of Bergen County, NJ, where they provided their children with a nurturing and joyful upbringing, filled with summers of poolside fun and trips across the East Coast, as well as to Brazil and Italy. Lourdes’ greatest accomplishment was to provide her family with her “American Dream”. She was exceptionally proud of both her American citizenship and Brazilian heritage. Cooking was her love language, and she was renowned for her exceptional culinary skills. She expressed her affection by showering friends and family with her culinary creations at every opportunity.
Lourdes enjoyed a fulfilling career at Valley National Bank in Northvale, where she was highly regarded by colleagues and customers. After retiring, Lourdes and Larry relocated to Naples, Florida. There, she spent her days gardening and cooking, and she enjoyed a vibrant social life that included dining, strolling, beach days, and other social activities. She cherished her time with a group of friends she affectionately called her “Sand Sisters”.
Lourdes always found the silver lining in even the most challenging situations, spreading her positivity to family and friends both near and far. Her outlook provided perspective to others and inspired many to persevere through their own challenges.
Throughout their 50-year marriage and her 25-year battle with cancer, Lourdes received steadfast support, both physically and emotionally, from her husband, Larry, who many decades ago affectionately nicknamed her, in Portuguese, her native language, his “little angel”. Their love will endure for eternity.
Lourdes’ warmth, kindness, and zest for life will be deeply missed by all who knew her. As she often said, “Enjoy the journey!”
A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024, at 11:30 AM at Garden of Memories in Washington Township, NJ. Following the service, the Porta family will receive family and friends to gather and pay their respects at Taverna on the Green, 314 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ, from 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Lourdes may be made to lustgarten.org, a foundation dedicated to advancing research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of pancreatic cancer.
She loved the Lord with all her heart soul and mind and gave Him the Glory though all her ups and downs! She would always say “God is Good” in many of her posts on FB. She left a beautiful legacy for Larry and her children and grandchildren. She loved you all dearly. I hope I have the dignity and faith that I saw in Lourdes throughout her battle. I hope you’re dancing with Jesus on those streets of gold. Until we meet again- I love you my precious sister in Christ!
Minha Querida Irmã Mais Velha, nossa História hoje se expande por todo Céu, as pequenas Estrelas preencherão seu coração de Paz e Alegria, sempre Haverá Reverência em meu Coração por tudo o que vivenciais juntas…dança Amada..Dança diante do Criador e sejas Plena dessa Perfeição….Te Amo minha Irma….logo todos faremos parte desse Mistério Divino.Gratidao Amada, pelos Seus Sacrifícios em Oferta ao Planeta e à todos Nós dessa Humanidade, Seras Honrada por tudo.!
Minha querida amiga de infância do Brasil está voltando para a casa do nosso Pai e será recebida por ele com muito amor e misericórdia! Lourdes deixa a marca do seu sorriso em todos os que a conheciam
Vai em paz, amiga e continue a sorrir.
We lost a wonderful and courageous person.
Condolences to family
My dear Sand Sister. Lourdes, even though we never met I will forever cherish our FB conversations and your determination to live life to its fullest and to Enjoy the Journey and to keep a positive attitude and keep pushing forward. I am so sorry that we never met in person. I will always remember you and your words of wisdom. I will miss not seeing all your pictures of your family and your beautiful grandchildren who you loved so deeply.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to your husband. Larry and your family at this most difficult time.
Heaven has truly gained an Angel. Please watch over all is us. You are at peace now and suffering no longer.
With Love ❤️ your Sand Sister forever, Maryann
Falar de Lourdes carinhosamente chamada por mim Lu, seria como simbolizar a alegria de viver e de vencer. nossas lembranças da infância são as mais lúdicas historias que um dia quem sabe contarei aos seus netos, por hoje, deixo minhas lágrimas falarem, e meu agradecimento a Deus por ter tido você como minha “marida” forma carinhosa como nos tratávamos. Eu perdi uma grande amiga e o céu ganha uma grande alma. Ela realmente virou um anjo, Descanse Lu!
Rose e familia, Brasil 2024
Dear Lourdes, I had the privilege to meet you in January 2020 at our first Southwest Live Beach Family picnic. A group of people who love the beach!! ️ We enjoyed talking and singing and meeting our old friend Roy and our new Friends from all over the world. Then Covid happened. Our picnics stopped but we enjoyed our beach walks with Robb. I can say we were definitely meant to meet. You’ve touched my heart and shared photos of your family and journey called life. My Sympathies to your family and friends.
Sincerely, Sharon Boyd-Rosenow Minnesota ❤️
The positive impact a person can make daily to everyone they meet with simple kindness, patience and understanding is immeasurable. These meetings don’t have to be long in time but they are so deep in memory. Lourdes embodied that goodness and I’m a better person because of those meetings. Being a “sand sister” from Chicagoland, my trips to Naples were few and far between. But I’ve been blessed with having a few long conversations with Lourdes at the beach or at a group lunch and supplemented with all the chatting and sharing that social media allows over just a handful of years since meeting Lourdes. What an indelible impact she made! The empty hole she leaves in your family with her death can leave you with a bottomless pit of sadness. But, Lourdes would never want any of you to be sad for long. You now need to fill that bottomless hole with the simple kindness, patience and understanding that she exuded to all that you may encounter in life moving forward to honor her memory. I’ve been doing that for 35 years since my own mom’s passing. Moms still provide that beacon of light to guide their children and grandchildren long after their passing. Every time I buy flowers I’ll be thinking of Lourdes, and I think I’ll buy an extra bouquet to give to a stranger along the way. I know Lourdes would. Peace and Love to you all.