Eva D. (Santos) Dias

Eva D. (Santos) Dias, 84, of Canterbury St., Ludlow, was peacefully born to eternal life Saturday, October 23, 2010, surrounded by her loving children while in hospice care in her daughter’s home in Birmingham, MI. Born in Ludlow, MA, April 12, 1926, she was the beloved daughter of the late Levy “Louis” and Florinda (Ribeiro) Santos. Eva attended East Street Elementary School, graduated Ludlow High School in 1944, and then received her diploma from cosmetology school. She immediately began work as a life-long fully licensed professional beautician. On February 9, 1948, Eva and John Dias were wed. They were the first couple married in the newly formed parish of Our Lady of Fátima in Ludlow. Together they designed and owned Uncle Bob’s General Store in Ludlow. Eva will best be remembered as the owner and head stylist of Eva’s Beauty Shop on Canterbury Street, where from 1955 through December 2009 her business thrived with the help of many loyal customers and co-workers including her sister-in-law Pauline Dias, Charlotte Pichey, Saudade Fonseca, and Mabel Ellison. Eva was an avid golfer, and she and her husband were active members of the Ludlow Country Club since joining in 1948. Eva was a supporter of the performing arts, and was a founding member of the Ludlow Music and Arts Society, whose first project successfully raised funds for the LHS Band’s 1975 trip to the Youth And Music Festival in Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria. She was also a long-time member of the Gremio Lusitano Club. Eva enjoyed relaxing at the Rhode Island shore in Weekapaug, as well as traveling throughout the United States and Europe. She was especially proud to attend her children’s various sporting events and theatrical and concert performances. On March 12, 2000, along with her close golfing friend Nellie Lennihen, Eva unexpectedly made her Broadway debut at the Booth Theatre in Dame Edna: The Royal Tour. As part of the act, the two friends appeared onstage to exchange ad lib quips with the internationally acclaimed comic entertainer, and did so while dining on a full-course catered luncheon brought in by Sardi’s Restaurant. She leaves a daughter, Candice “Candy” and her husband Jeffrey McLeod of Birmingham, MI, and a son, John Jay Dias and his domestic partner Leonard Pfluger of New York City. She is survived by her sisters, Lois Morais and Irene Cellille of Ludlow; and her in-laws, Amelia “Millie”, Pauline and Antonio “Tony” Dias of Ludlow. Eva was predeceased by her husband, John Dias in 2002, as well as her four brothers, Louis, Americo “Bobby”, John “Pro”, and Frank Santos, and sisters, Martha Duda and Jacinta “Jessie” Oliveira, and brother-in-law, Horace Dias. She leaves behind many nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends. Eva was a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, loving surrogate avó/grandmother, hairdresser, golf partner, and fund raiser.