Obituary of Bento De Sao Jose

On March 1 st , 2023, Bento De Sao Jose of Toronto passed away at the age of 83 years. Bento’s entire family is saddened to announce his passing. He was surrounded by his wife Alda, children Lisa and; Philip, grandchildren Emily, Nicole, Matthew and Anthony, his daughter-in-law Maria, son-in-law Jason and niece Cristina. We were fortunate to have been with him during his final moments. Although we knew of his recent health issues, we were not aware of their extent and his death has come as a shock to us all. We thank you for all your kind support during this difficult time. Bento was born in Portugal in a small town called Caranguejera and into a large family of 7 other  siblings, survived by Herminia  and; Emilia. In the heavens, Bento now joins all his other brothers  and sister. Bento achieved a lot in his life, in adulthood, he went to the Angolan War, is a veteran, which he was always proud to be. When he returned to Portugal after the war, he married Alda and they immigrated to Canada in 1963. He continued business school in Ontario, and quickly opened his own car service station in downtown Toronto, deep in the Portuguese community. He was actively involved in the Portuguese community and the city of Toronto overall. Over the course of his entrepreneurship, he opened other business locations. He was ambitious and a true leader; he even entered into politics as he wanted to make a bigger difference in the community. He was a man with big goals and a big heart. Many people would remember his generous nature with BBQ’s he would host where anyone walking by was  always welcome. Based on all his good work, he was recognized by Parliament with a Jubilee award. There were more accomplishments, too many to write. To his family, this meant he truly had an impact and often spent more time away from home, but we knew he was happy helpings others. Overall, the most important part of his life was his family, who he loved dearly. We often hear he was the life of the party and could light up a dim room with his energy and positivity. Friends will be received at the Dixon-Garland Funeral Home, 166 Main Street N. (Markham Road) Markham on Tuesday March 7^th from 4-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday March 8^th at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, 2950 Midland Avenue, Scarborough ON.  We were truly blessed to know him in this world. He will continue to be our guiding light from where he now travels. Bento, you will be forever in our hearts.