Manuel Valeiro Medeiros

Manuel Valeiro Medeiros, 90, was a born in Fall River, MA, to Antonio and Honorina Medeiros, the middle of their six children. His father died when he was ten, and Manny was nurtured by his large, extended Portuguese family. He served in the Air Force after high school graduation, and to his surprise, he was accepted into the New England Conservatory of Music where he earned his Bachelors and then a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting. It was there that Manny fell in love with teaching, and he spent his entire career in that field, first in Old Town ME, and later in Cortland New York.

In 1974 he married Linda Brilliant, who preceded him in death in 2011. Together they raised two children: Jason, who died in a swimming accident in South Africa in 2002, and Denise, who lives in Charlotte with her husband Jorge Triana and their children, Isabella and Oliver. He adored them.

He married Karen Sterling Atkinson in 2015, and she survives him at their home in Givens Estates. They traveled widely and fully lived every moment they shared.

Manny brought sunshine whenever he entered a room. He was a born entertainer and was passionate about all kinds of music. He sang in the Boston Symphony Chorus as a student at the Conservatory, and in other choral groups through his life, including both the Asheville Symphony Chorus and the Coral Society. In addition to band instruments, he played the piano by ear, and he spent many hours entertaining friends at Givens and in the Health Center there. Wherever he went, Manny made friends. He was a Pied Piper.

A Celebration of Life service will be held in the Chapel at Givens at 2:00 PM on December 6, 2024. Interment will be on December 8 at 2 pm at Park Road Baptist Church in Charlotte. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Cortland, NY.

Groce Funeral Home on Tunnel Road is assisting the family.