Mrs. Maida L. Henriques

May 14, 1930 - March 27, 2021

Maida L. Henriques: Pittsfield Native Who Loved History, the Arts and Travel Maida L. Henriques, a native of Pittsfield, Mass. known for her caring nature and love of family, died March 27 at Mount Carmel Care Center in Lenox at the age of 90. Maida’s roots in Pittsfield—and the wider Berkshires—ran deep and wide. She was raised, educated and married in Pittsfield and lived nearly all of her adult life there, with her husband, Manuel, for many years on Partridge Road. Maida was lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, where she was christened and married. She served on the church’s Social Ministry and Esther committees and further helped others by volunteering at The Christian Center, where she prepared and distributed meals, among other community projects. For 24 years, Maida was a volunteer archivist at the Berkshire Historical Society archives at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, maintaining collections and sourcing materials for scholars and for publication in the Berkshire Eagle and other media. Before that, she worked at the Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce, General Electric and Berkshire Community College, in bookkeeping and administrative assistant roles. Maida’s passions included history, the arts and travel, and she and her husband visited much of the world, including her favorite expeditions to New Zealand, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean—all lovingly chronicled in a series of photo albums and journals. In her younger years, she was an avid bowler and skied cross-country on winter landscapes in the Northeast with her family and friends. Maida also was a gifted cook and nurturing wife, mother and “grammie” who cherished her grandson, Theo. She was also courageous, as a breast cancer survivor and having participated in a Stanford University research study for her treatment. Maida was born May 14, 1930, to Carl F. and Lillian (Welz) Kirchner. She attended Pittsfield public schools and graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1947.She married Manuel D. Henriques Oct. 14, 1950, at Zion and in the 1950s, the couple lived in Fort Benning, Ga., where Manuel served in the U.S. Army and Maida worked in the Weapons Department of the Army Infantry School. Afterward, they returned home to Pittsfield.Maida is survived by her daughter, Beth M. Henriques, a son-in-law, Andrew McMains, and her grandson, all of Madison, N.J.; a sister, Janice Lantos of Norton, Mass.; and more than 20 nieces, nephews and cousins. Her husband died in 2018. Funeral Notice: A memorial service for Mrs. Maida L. Henriques will be Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street, Pittsfield MA, with the Rev. Joel Bergeland, Pastor, officiating. To best ensure everybody’s health, due to the recent rise in Covid cases, all attending this service are required to wear face masks. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Zion Lutheran Church of Pittsfield or the Massachusetts Audubon Society in care of Dwyer-Wellington Funeral Home, 220 East St., Pittsfield, Mass. 01201, which is handling funeral arrangements. Donations CANNOT be made online, but may be made through the Dwyer-Wellington Funeral Home.