Beatrice (Bea) Duart Viera died peacefully on Jan. 19 at the Windemere Nursing Home. She was 89.

Bea was born at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Feb 6, 1925 to Joseph and Frances Duart of Red Hill Farm, Oak Bluffs.

She attended school in Oak Bluffs and graduated in 1942. In 1943 she married John Viera Jr. and they had three daughters, Bertie, Debbie and Stacy.

Working in many capacities on the Vineyard, Bea waitressed at the ArtCliff diner when it was run by her sister, Maryann Sylva, and worked with her sister, Sarah Jenkinson, opening and closing houses. Summers were spent taking in laundry and doing some bookkeeping at the East Chop Beach Club. She worked for many years at Wood Chips until it closed and, in later life, she was the receptionist for Dr. Michael Bigby. She was also active in the American Legion Auxiliary.

Bea loved parties, music and especially dancing. She liked people, had a wicked sense of humor and was always fun to be with. She enjoyed making clothes, too. When her daughter Bertie got married Bea made her wedding dress. She also made the maid of honor’s dress, the flower girl’s dress and her own mother of the bride dress. She enjoyed knitting, hooking rugs, reading, watching game shows and doing crossword puzzles.

She was a terrific mother and wonderful grandmother. She was always there to help with a few words of advice, a sympathetic ear or a good belly laugh, and knew immediately which one was needed. She was loved very much and will be missed.

Bea was predeceased by her husband Johnny, her daughter Stacy and her parents, Joe and Frances Duart, by four brothers, Anthony (Love) Duart, Victor Duart, Joseph (Buster) Duart and Henry (Boy) Duart, and seven sisters, Bertha (Bee) DeCosta, Maryann Sylva, Sarah Jenkinson, Philomena (Fannie) Maciel, Frances Duart, Alice Fullin and Clara (Nanny) Silvia.

She is survived by her two daughters and their husbands, Bertie and Donald Madeiras and Debbie and Lewie Reis, and by her sister, Victoria (Honey) Campos. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Angie Madeiras, Tammy Marciel, Sue Ann Madeiras, Holly Linardy, Shawn Reis, Amy Toth and Joshua Cotterill, and four great-grandchildren, Mia and Colin Linardy, Julianna and Roslyn Toth, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 12:30 p.m. in the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs, with a visitation prior beginning at 11a.m. A reception will follow in the Portuguese-American Club on Vineyard Avenue in Oak Bluffs, please bring a dish to share.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent to the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, P.O. Box 825, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or Windemere Nursing Facility, recreation department, P.O. Box 1447, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.

Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.