PORTSMOUTH—Patricia Emelda Viera (nee Henry), 77, passed away peacefully on the evening of December 23, 2021, with her daughter and granddaughters at her bedside, after a lengthy illness. She was born on the Caribbean Island of Antigua in Saint John's to the late Frank Henry and Iris Murphy.

She attained her primary and secondary education at private boarding schools and graduated from the Antigua Girls High School in 1962. After high school, she worked in various roles as an office secretary and server supporting American and British military troops stationed on island at the time, until the early 1970s, when she migrated to the island of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.  Here, she met her future husband, the late Arthur A. Viera, of San Juan, a small town located in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. In 1973, their only child and daughter, Charmaine, was born.

In 1974, Patricia started her career with the Virgin Island's Government as a Clerk Typist and advanced in her administrative role. She was also known to be a regular guest writer of provocative articles and opinion pieces in the Virgin Islands Daily News periodical. After 25 years of dedicated service with the government, she retired and moved to the Hampton Roads, Virginia area to be closer with her daughter and grandchildren. Her favorite pastimes included collecting antique cookbooks and rare, novelty items, taking long walks with her grandchildren, and singing in church.

In her later years, she was devoted to the care and well-being of her three granddaughters and is remembered most for instilling a solid foundation of "no-nonsense" character traits and family values that shaped them into the young women they are today. A big proponent and advocate of education, she was very influential in the art of written communication and introduced them early on to writing in cursive penmanship. She was also known by other family, friends, and associates for always seen walking around town with her granddaughters, dropping them off to school and picking them up every day while their parents were serving in the military and on deployments. She did this voluntarily and without any complaints for most of their early childhood.

Aside from her no-nonsense nature, she was remembered most for her eclectic storytelling and reflections from her past; her favorite classic Caribbean music songs and artists, such as Jacob Miller; her love for traditional Christian hymns; and her favorite tv shows such as Dark Shadows, Bonanza, and adaptations of early 20 ^th century black and white films of the Victorian era.

She also shared her cherished herbal & wellness "remedies" with the girls. At one time, they dreaded these remedies when they were younger, but learned to appreciate them when they got older and realized they were valuable. Her only grandson, Sean Carrigan, was her pride and joy and although her health was at a decline, she shared various memorable moments with him during Christmas visits and family outings and dinners. One of many cherished memories is when he played Crossy Roads with her on her TV and gave her lots of hugs. Overall, her strong love and devotion she had for her grandchildren were evident during the time she spent with them and had a profound impact on their lives. Her granddaughters and grandson graciously thank her and appreciate the time they had with her to experience her unique character, spirit, and love.

Patricia is remembered most for being a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and her light-hearted, unconventional personality, and humor. She will be dearly missed.

Patricia is survived by her sole child and daughter, Charmaine Viera; her three granddaughters: Abigail S. Cox, Beyonce A. Cox, Tiffany D. Cox and only grandson, Sean M. Carrigan.

A graveside service will be held 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 11, at Olive Branch Cemetery, 2 Cpl. J. M. Williams Ave., Portsmouth. Condolences and tributes may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.