FERNANDO VIEIRA CARDOSO

FERNANDO VIEIRA CARDOSO

OCTOBER 8, 1933 – AUGUST 10, 2025

Fernando Vieira Cardoso passed away peacefully at his home in Galt on Sunday,

August 10, 2025, with his beloved family by his side.

Born on October 8, 1933, in the small village of Pedro Miguel (Freguesia de Pedro

Miguel, concelho da Horta) on the island of Faial in the Azores, Portugal, Fernando was

the youngest of six children born to Salvador Vieira Cardoso and Rosa do Ceu Vieira.

He shared a special bond with his twin sister, Alvarina, as the youngest of six children.

From a young age, Fernando developed a strong work ethic, helping his family tend to

their farmland and livestock — values that shaped the rest of his life.

Fernando served honorably in the Portuguese military before marrying Maria Eugenia

Cordeiro in 1959. In 1960, seeking better opportunities, Fernando immigrated to

California, where he began working on a small family dairy farm in Riverbank. He took

on several jobs to build a life in this country he would call home for the next 65 years.

One year later, Maria Eugenia joined him, and together they built a new life. Starting

with just 20 cows in Lathrop, they nurtured a dairy farm business that would eventually

relocate to Galt and grow to nearly 600 cows — a testament to their dedication, grit, and

vision.

Fernando was known in the family and throughout the community as a hardworking,

honest, humble, and generous man. He stayed very connected to the Portuguese

community. He often donated the beef that was served at the annual “Festas do

Espirito Santo” to many of the Portuguese Halls throughout California. His contributions

went far beyond business; he gave of himself fully to his family, friends, and community.

To those who knew him, Fernando was a vibrant, hardworking, warm-hearted, and

generous man. Despite the demanding nature of dairy farming — with no weekends or

holidays off — he and Maria Eugenia always made time for family gatherings, birthdays,

weddings, and celebrations. Many of his nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-

nephews remember their “rite of passage” helping out on the farm — feeding calves,

milking cows, or hauling hay under Fernando’s watchful and encouraging eye.

When his wife, Maria Eugenia became ill and passed away in 2005, Fernando slowly

began to reduce his dairy farm operation but still “…rose with the sun and worked with

humility and purpose,” as he had done for so many years. Years later Fernando

welcomed Thonechanh Keoveunxay into his life. Thone, as she is often called, built a

life with Fernando with her five children and her Laotian community. Thone’s children,

grandchildren and all their family members embraced Fernando. At that point, his family

grew both in size and love. He found joy and purpose in the bonds they shared and

was deeply respected and cherished.

The land that once held the dairy now supports a thriving new neighborhood – a new

community of families in new homes making memories on the land where so much was

accomplished. Fernando further honored his family roots with the choice of street

names in these developing neighborhoods on land that once supported the dairy farm.

When you see the “Cardoso Dairy” sign you can’t help but smile in appreciation to know

how Fernando’s hard work has touched so many lives.

In his final years, Fernando faced health challenges with the same resilience he showed

throughout his life. Thone never wavered, in her care and love for Fernando. She was

there holding his hand when he awoke and when he laid his head to sleep. He passed

with peace and dignity, surrounded by love, and is now resting with Our Lord.

He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, generosity, and unwavering love. His memory

lives on in the hearts of those who knew him.

Thank you, Fernando, for the countless memories, your boundless generosity, and your

enduring love. You will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Viewing at Ben Salas Funeral Home in Galt on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, starting

at 3; Rosary at 5:30 pm.

Funeral mass on Thursday, August 21, 2025 @ 10:30 a.m. at St. Christopher Catholic

Church in Galt

Graveside Burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward on Thursday, August 21,

2025 at 2:30 PM

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