Noel Cordeiro

Dec 24, 1945 - May 25, 2022 (Class of ' 62 Group)

Victor Noel Cordeiro, age 76 of Rehoboth Beach, DE, passed away on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at his home. He was born in Nairobi, Kenya, son of the late Victor Salvador and Especiosa Cordeiro.

Noel lived in Nairobi for 25 years, and after leaving the Nairobi Polytechnic, he worked for the city's newspaper, The Nation, as a proofreader. He then worked in the hospitality sector at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, for the actor William Holden. There Noel met Charles Wyman (owner of Pantasote Plastics), who sponsored him to the United States. He worked at Pantasote for a few years and then took a job with New Jersey Bell (now Verizon) where he worked as a technician for 30 years. After retirement from Verizon, Noel moved to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, with his wife, Nora and son, Neil. He had many hobbies and pastimes, but most of all, loved restoring his vintage Volvo P1800S. Noel was technically adept on so many fronts. Prior to numerous technical resources being available on-line, his friends knew him as the go-to guy for technical assistance. Noel was an affectionate, devout, and generous man who greatly valued his immediate and extended family. He always had a smile on his face and possessed a wonderful sense of humor.

In addition to his parents, Noel was preceded in death by his brother, Savio Cordeiro (Stella Dewit, deceased); and his nephew Desmond Fonseca. He leaves behind his wife of 53 years, Leonora “Nora”; his son Neil; his brothers: Joseph Cordeiro (Alexandra) and Bosco Cordeiro (Beatriz Alcaine) ; his sisters: Gladys Fonseca (Olavo, deceased); Sarita de Souza (Jules, deceased) and Gemma Pereira (Romulus, deceased); his beloved cat, Norman; and many loving nieces and nephews, their children; and many other relatives and friends.

Click here for the Funeral Mass held on Thursday, June 9, 2022

Click here for the Funeral Booklet

Click here for the Parsell Funeral Home Tribute Wall

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to:

Delaware Hospice (100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963 )

Catholic Charities ( 2601 W. 4th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805)

Beebe Medical Foundation (424 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE 19958)

Click here for a Slideshow of Noel, his Family & Friends

(The accompanying music track, Billy Preston's version of My Sweet Lord, is a music track Noel frequently listened to in his final days )

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My Dad, Victor Noel

A Eulogy by Noel's son, Neil Cordeiro

First off, Mom and I would like to thank everyone for coming.

Thank you to all our family and friends who came from far away and changed their plans to be with us. We thank you for your condolence messages, Mass cards and Masses offered in Dads name. We would especially like to thank Fr. Lewis for today's mass and helping to spiritually prepare Dad when he was in hospital.

We gather today to celebrate Noel's life. I am his only child and that made us particularly close. He enjoyed DIY projects. We spent countless hours together on our projects. We renovated at least 5 houses. Restored his vintage Volvo. I learned a lot from my Dad on how to see through the problem to find a solution. He always told me to buy good tools, ' they will serve you better '. Also, if you use a specialty tool just once it will pay for itself.

Dad went by the name NOEL because he was born on Dec 24th 1945. He was affectionately called ENU because his brother Bosco couldn't say Noel. By all accounts he had a wonderful childhood with his brothers and sisters constantly doting over their baby brother. A situation that never changed, even in his latter years.

My Dad was always current. In the slideshow you will see a laid back 70's Victor, a Miami Vice 80's Victor. A young at heart, cool dude throughout never letting his image become stale or fake.

Dad had what we today call -- HUSTLE. This talent served him well to have life changing events. When sometime in 1968, Norbert Rodrigues gave him a crash course on how to use, the high tech for then, NCR machine at the Goan Gymkhana, that led to a job at the Mount Kenya Safari Club. At the Safari Club when he probably saved the marriage of a wealthy industrialist Charles Wyman by making his wife happy with better accommodations - Noel had used his own initiative to move them into William Holden's private bungalow. That favor was repaid with help to immigrate to the US. There are more stories, but you get the idea that Dad used equal parts hard work, street smarts and good luck to make a good life for his family.

Throughout all this he had Mom by his side. 53 years of marriage - that takes work and he put in the effort. BUT their story goes back even further. Their lives crisscrossed from the start. Mom was born 5 days after Dad at the same Birthing Hospital. They went to the same schools..DR.Ribero's Goan School and ST. Tereasa's Boys and Girls School. They worked for the same companies - The Mount Kenya Safari Club, Royal Sovereign Pencil in London and here in the US, 30 years at New Jersey Bell.

Family was important and every effort was made to attend family celebrations. He took Mom and I all over the world to visit our family in Brazil, Spain, New Zealand, Kenya, India and Canada. Long before Whats App Dad would make those long distance calls, for almost every occasion or for no reason at all, just to talk.

He was very sentimental and cherished personal handmade items. When he recently received a GET WELL SOON picture from Laura he immediately said to tape it up where he could see it. While we were clearing boxes I came across his treasured collection of MY home made birthday cards and hand written letters from his Mother and Brothers and Sisters.

Whenever I talk to someone about Dad, they universally come back with he "always had a smile and a great sense of humor" which he maintained to the end, even joking with the NURSES in the ICU that he 'bequeaths his BUCKET LIST to his SON'. Speaking about me.... this is where I put in my cherished childhood memory. I enjoyed walking our dog Smokey with my Dad. AND there was this one time in the late 70's, we had a great blizzard and Dad tied my Radio Flyer sled to Smokey. That dog pulled me and a of case a beer home. It was quite a scene definitely TikTok worthy. ...And not too long ago when we visited Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Dad tried to go beer for beer with me. I felt so bad for him the next day.

Dad had an incredible ability to make and keep friendships. Which was never more apparent, than, over the last few weeks with calls and messages from Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada and all over the States. This gave him great comfort to know how much he was loved and how well he will be remembered.

Dad was a real gentle, caring man who in his quiet way looked after everybody. Whether it was help to sell a used car, move house or shovel the neighbors snow. Over the last two years, he was getting things prepared at home - a new washer, dryer, HVAC, etc.. - so that MOM would not need to worry. The week before he passed, when I told him don't worry about stuff just get your rest - his reply was ' that's all I can do now is... worry'.

We can all be happy that he has no more worries. No pain or sadness. Just eternal rest reunited with his loved ones that have gone before him.