Carmen (Souza) Rego, 81, passed away Monday, January 7, 2019 with her family by her side at St. Luke’s Hospital.

She was the beloved wife of Humberto C. “Bert” Rego; they were married for over 60 years.

Born in Salga, Sao Miguel, Azores, she was the daughter of the late Manuel P. and Maria Amelia (Pacheco) Souza. Her father’s volunteer enlistment in the U.S. Army prior to World War I gave his family U.S. citizenship, and Carmen moved to New Bedford in 1946.

She attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and New Bedford High School, and returned to the Azores in 1958 to marry Humberto. They returned to New Bedford in 1959, and she was employed by Arista Sportswear. They moved to Dartmouth in 1966.

Carmen’s greatest source of joy was her family, and the time she spent making a home for them.

An accomplished needleworker and artist, she once used her talents to paint a jungle landscape on the walls of her son’s bedroom, and she put her tremendous embroidery skills to work embellishing everything from tablecloths to jeans.

Her hand-crocheted snowflakes grace the Christmas trees of family and friends far and near, as she was generous in sharing her talents and found great pleasure in giving to others.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son Paul and his fiancée, Diane Ferreira; son Marc and his wife Paula; and daughter Lisa Koczera and her husband Brian, all of Dartmouth.

She will be greatly missed by her six grandchildren, Nicole (Rego) Doliner and her husband Scott; Ryan Rego and his wife Kendra; Alyson Rego, Abby Koczera, Erin Rego, and Amy Koczera; and her great-grandson, Nolan Doliner. She is also survived by her sisters, Madelena Sardinha of New Bedford and Maria Vasconcelos of Dartmouth. She was predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Maria A. Rego.

Her funeral will be held on Friday, January 11 at 8 a.m. from the Waring-Sullivan Home at Dartmouth, 230 Russells Mills Rd., Dartmouth followed by a funeral mass at 9 a.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Rivet. St., New Bedford. Burial will follow in South Dartmouth Cemetery.

For online tributes, visit www.waring-sullivan.com.