Celeste Matilda Andrade
Celeste Andrade Obituary
Celeste Matilda Andrade, 81, a longtime resident of Belmont, MA, and most recently of Newton, MA, peacefully transitioned on Monday, June 1, 2026, at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Jamaica Plain, MA.
Celeste, the second of three daughters, was born to Joseph Andrade and Ruth Dias Monteiro Andrade, on December 31, 1944, in Providence, Rhode Island. She grew up in Fox Point, the tight-knit Cape Verdean community where her father’s parents, among the first Cape Verdeans to settle in Rhode Island, were voluntary immigrants who arrived on Cape Verdean-owned packets at the beginning of the 20th century. She was surrounded by rich culture and traditions that provided her with a foundation for a remarkable work ethic and the attributes of tenacity, perseverance, and resilience.
Born into an academically and musically gifted family, Celeste, a classically trained violinist, began lessons at an early age. She played 1st violin in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and sang alto in the a cappella choir at Classical High School. At her 1962 graduation, she performed a violin solo of Felix Borowski’s ‘Adoration.’
In 1962, she received the Margerita A. Bland Award from the Urban League of Rhode Island for contributions to race relations in Rhode Island. Celeste and Elizabeth, both avid tennis players, were members of the Little Rhody Tennis Club, which competed throughout New England.
In 1966, Celeste graduated from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, receiving a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in French and a minor in mathematics. During the summer of 1961, Celeste studied in France through the Bryn Mawr College L’Institut d’études Françaises d’Avignon. An outstanding athlete, Celeste was the team captain of Brandeis University’s undefeated women's fencing team, leading them to the first New England Women’s Intercollegiate Team Championship and receiving the Max I. Silber Award from Brandeis in 1966 for her contributions to sports.
As both a sister and one of the elder cousins in her generation, Celeste was a role model, and for scores of younger cousins, she mentored many on their journeys toward accomplished academic and professional careers. A lifelong learner and voracious reader, Celeste will always be remembered for her keen intelligence, sharp wit, and as a feisty woman who lived her life fully.
In a distinguished career, spanning decades, her professional life centered around three areas: educational administration and management, teaching and training, and data processing. Her most impactful professional legacy was in the early 1970’s, as a consultant leading manpower development projects, working mainly in the South. Her extraordinary focus, courage, and the core values of faith and love, carved a path of light and justice during an embattled moment in history. That courage and resilience were also her strength, and time and time again, her faith, instilled at an early age, guided her through her own challenges.
She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2001, and to the very end of her life, Celeste shared her testimony, her musical talents and, most importantly, her love, with her family and church community.
Celeste is predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Ruth Andrade, and her older sister, Elizabeth Anne (Andrade) Moss. She is survived by her sister, Claire Andrade-Watkins, PhD, of Providence, RI. She is the beloved Aunt to Patrick Dozier (Hilary), Jacquelyn Moss, Lisa Moss; Callie Watkins Liu, PhD (Mark); great-Aunt to Madison Dozier, Mia Dozier, Darnell Joseph Moss, Jarnee Xavier, João Xavier, Ozzykai Liu; great-great Aunt to Darnell Joseph Moss, Jr., and Dinari Moss, in addition to scores of adoring aunts and uncles, cousins; extended family; friends, family of the heart; and her faith community.
A Memorial Service for Celeste Matilda Andrade will take place Saturday, June 20th, at 2:30, at the Newton Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at
70 Carlson Ave., Newton, MA 02459.
For services, please visit:
https://www.brownandhickey.com/
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