Online Obituaries Antonio Alberto 'Tata' Resende Santos, sadly passed away on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. He was the husband of Lulia (Fernandes) Santos. Born on November 23, 1957 in Mosteiros, Fogo, Cabo Verde to the late Dinorah Resende and Vasco Santos. Antonio, which many of us knew as Tata was one of many siblings, whom now have not only lost a brother, but a father figure. Tata knew the importance of family and made sure that he stayed close to all his brothers and sisters; making his home the hub of family gatherings. Tata migrated to the United States in 1976 from Cabo Verde with his mother and Tio Joao and Tia Fatinha; which was all made possible with the support of his aunt, Alina Nana Depina and husband John Djon Depina. As the years went by, Tata was joined in the US by the rest of his siblings. Each time one of his siblings and their family arrived in the US, they stayed with Tata where he provided comfort and support until they could settle on their own. As a young man, he established strong work ethic and values, which he inherited from both of his parents. One of his first employments was at Boston Whalers, a shipping industry where he did work as a foreman. He aspired to be an entrepreneur and this became reality when he opened his own store front at 30 years old--'Tonys Fashion' in Brockton. Tata had a passion for music and enjoyed listening to artists such as Bana, and genres like Morna and Jazz. He was also a talented musician and enjoyed playing the drums with his friends. After selling his store, Tata went on to work for Emerson Cummings where he worked for over 20 years. As a supervisor, Tata showed amazing leadership qualities, and as a true leader was supportive of his supervisees and could often be found leaving his office to work on the floor alongside them. He was a man of great character and worked diligently in all that he did throughout his life, in fact, one of his favorite mottos was make it happen!'. And that he did, always. During his retirement Tata picked up several interests to stay active. Among those interests, were traveling to Cabo Verde, which he enjoyed with his wife Lia. There he spent countless hours with his father, walking the villages and telling stories of pastimes and the future alike. His travels were both leisurely and for philanthropy work. He loved to give back to his country; one of his most proud accomplishments was building the church, Capela de Sumbango. He also gave back by being involved with the government by assisting in any way possible to help improve living conditions for the natives, especially the children. Tata loved children of all walks of life, and they loved him. There was not a child in the vicinity of his home that did not know Tata, and they would pay him a visit daily hoping for candy and conversation in return. From his love for children, and advocating for their education, Tata coordinated fundraisers, with local efforts, to donate school supplies to the neighboring schools. When back in the US, Tata dedicated much of his time maintaining his home and called upon his brothers and brother-in-law, not only to help but as an excuse to spend time with them. When the house renovations and landscaping was done, he would sit on the deck, enjoying a beer and gazing proudly over his work. When he grew tiresome, he would retreat into the house where he could always be found sitting in his lazy boy chair watching Benfica or an NFL game--his two favorite sports, soccer and football. Other times, he would be watching western movies, and laughing over old episodes of Three Stooges or Sanford & Sons. He could always go for a good laugh; ironically, underneath his humble and quiet nature, he was quite the comedian himself. He loved having his family and friends over to share stories and make them laugh. Thanksgiving was one of his favorite holidays which guaranteed good food and great family company his favorites. Tata was married to his wife, Lulia Fernandes, for almost 40 years; together they shared a lifetime of memories, incredible love and an unbreakable bond. He is survived by his wife and six children; Melinda, Lisa, Vanessa, Tony, Jennifer and Eva. He especially loved his grandchildren, Lilly and Niyah and in return, he was their greatest grandfather. His fatherly attributes were evident in his relationships with his nieces and nephew Carla, Carmen and Chris, who regarded him like their own father. Wherever he took his children, they were in tow. His children enjoyed sitting with him on the deck, burgers in hand and hearing him tell jokes. It wasnt until the joke was over, that they realized he had strategically embedded an important life lesson within the joke. With that they learned, that although he was a funny guy, he never failed to show them direction in life. He supported their autonomy and accepted their decisions, even if it meant sleepless nights just to listen to long stories, having to drive 18 hours for a graduation, selling lemonade without permission and digging deep to find hobbies that might interest them. As a result, he spent many summer nights on the deck under the tree with his wife talking about how proud he was of his children; they were his greatest treasures. In the past few years, we noticed that Tata had truly entered possibly the happiest days of his life. Surrounding himself with his wife, children, grandchildren, family and friends was pure bliss for him. Tata had developed a prayerful life, deepening his relationship with God and becoming very involved with the local church. There he devoted his time and heart to the parish and became a lifelong member. We are extremely blessed to have shared these moments with Tata and will forever remember his wit, his smile, strength, and the love he provided to everyone who crossed his path. Tata is also survived by his siblings, Noel, Fefe, Anildo, Joao, Antonio, Antonia, Felipi and Marilena, Paletcha, Hominho, Anita, Biga, Fatinha and Joao. He is preceded in death by his father, Yaya, and mother, Yoya, and siblings Alvaro, Nenezinho and Luis. Funeral Information Funeral from the Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 165 Belmont St., Brockton on Saturday, October 29th at 8:00AM followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Edith Stein/St. Edward Parish, 71 East Main St., Brockton at 9:00AM. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Brockton. Calling hours Friday in the Funeral Home from 5:00PM - 9:00PM.