Monday, June 30, 2025
I had the absolute privilege of meeting Evaristo many years ago for the first time when my son, then a small 3-year-old and I travelled to Sarnia from London (England) for the marriage of Maria to my brother Terrance. My mother, Zeta, drove us to Sarnia from Toronto, a three-hour car journey, a long time for a little boy. Soon after our arrival in Sarnia, we were invited to the Arruda family home and met Maria’s parents and family for the first time. I remember fondly the incredibly warm welcome we received and the kindness that was shown to a little boy who was slightly overwhelmed by the ‘big’ trip and all the new people. Evaristo quickly took Matthew’s little hand and took him outside into his backyard to see the garden and visit the doves and chickens (I believe there were doves and chickens). From a little boy feeling a little lost, Matthew returned to the house with Evaristo with a big smile on his face, full of stories about what he had seen. When we were leaving the family gathering to return to our hotel in Sarnia, Dialina gave Matthew a big bag of homemade biscuits (which he treasured). These small acts of kindness spoke volumes about the warm, loving people Dialina and Evaristo were, making Terrance’s family feel so welcome and showing us how much they would welcome my brother into their family as their new son-in-law. Although I never had the privilege of spending much time with Evaristo over the years, as we have always lived overseas, I know from my sister-in-law Maria, my brother Terrance, and my nephews Ivan and William, just how special and beloved a father and grandfather Evaristo was to all of them.
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