MAPS mourns the passing of past Board President and long-term supporter Dr. Caetano Valadão Serpa on April 10, 2024. 

Dr. Valadão transitioned to spirit at his home in Arlington, Massachusetts, USA, surrounded by family. Born on the beautiful island of Flores in the Azores, Portugal, he earned a doctorate from Gregorian University and a Master’s degree in Theology, Ethics, and Counseling from Lateranense University, both in Italy. In the USA, he specialized in Conflict Mediation Techniques at Harvard University and Counseling Psychology at Lesley University.

His professional life included teaching at the Seminário Maior of Angra do Heroísmo and Seminário Colégio Ponta Delgada before immigrating to the USA in 1971. Here, he was a counselor at Cambridge Public Schools, a practicum supervisor at Lesley and Harvard Universities, and a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston, from which he retired in 2019.

His contributions extended beyond academia. He played a pivotal role as president of the organizing committee of the first Congress of Portuguese in America and as the president of the Board of Directors of COPA (now MAPS, Massachusetts Alliance for Portuguese Speakers), which engages in various impactful community initiatives and services.

He was a prolific writer, regularly contributing to Portuguese newspapers in the USA and Portugal. He authored several books, including A Gente dos Açores: Imigração e Religiosidade (1976), one of the first three Portuguese books selected by the US Library of Congress for translation into Braille.

He was married to Dr. Maria de Lourdes B. Serpa for fifty years. His loving family also includes his precious daughter Cristina Serpa Roof, son-in-law Bryan Roof, and his beloved grandchildren, Nolan, Layla, and Tanner.

After retirement, he highly treasured his life as a father and grandfather (Vovô). He loved going for swims, reading, writing, and taking walks. He was a family man, often spending time with his grandchildren and telling funny stories about his childhood that would always make everyone around him laugh. Tanner wrote, “Vovô was a great man, always having a special place in our hearts, lost but never forgotten.”

A memorial service with Mass will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 20, 2024, in St. Eulalia’s Church, 50 Ridge St, Winchester, MA.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that memorials be directed to MAPS.

Donations to the newly-created Dr. Caetano Valadão Serpa Fund can be made online using the button below. Please select the Dr. Caetano Valadão Serpa Fund from the dropdown menu.