History and Legacy
The roots of our company date back to 1959, when José Jacinto Ferreira, born on April 15, 1910, in the parish of Ginetes, began his career as a “funeral agent,” starting to work in Ponta Delgada at Rua de Lisboa nº 23-C. In the same year, he acquired his first hearse, a Morris Oxford. In 1962, the company moved to Rua Doutor João Francisco de Sousa, nº 63 (formerly 2ª Rua do Conde), where it remained until 2016.
Through dedication to quality and integrity, José Jacinto Ferreira established the company as a local market leader within just ten years. This legacy of continuity and service to the community ensures that, today, Funerária Ferreira remains the oldest funeral home in operation in the Azores a testament to the trust that successive generations have placed in our company. On December 30, 1968, Ferreira e Filhos, Lda. was founded, with his children joining the company: Manuel Jacinto Ferreira, Maria Clotilde Ferreira Cabral, João Jacinto Ferreira, and Carlos Jacinto Ferreira. This structure remained until 1981, when Carlos Ferreira and his wife, Maria Papoula Raimundo Ferreira, became the majority shareholders.
In the early 1990s, reaffirming its commitment to excellence, the company invested in renewing its image, acquiring new funeral vehicles, acquiring a warehouse, and renovating the headquarters office. Throughout its history, Funerária Ferreira has continuously adapted to the evolution of the funeral industry, maintaining high standards of professionalism, seriousness, and trust in all services provided.
The trust built over the years allowed the company to conduct funeral ceremonies for several notable figures of Azorean society, including Augusto Rebelo Arruda (1964), Vasco Bensaúde (1967), Francisco Luís Tavares (1968), Jeremias da Costa (1970), Armando Côrtes-Rodrigues (1971), Dom Manuel de Medeiros Guerreiro (1978), Ernesto Canto da Maia (1981), Francisco Carreiro da Costa (1981) e Dom Jaime Garcia Goulart (1997), among many others.
In 2002, the company welcomed the next generation, Roberto Raimundo Ferreira and José António
Inauguration of the Funeral Centre and celebration of the 65th Anniversary of Agência Funerária Ferreira. Ponta Delgada, 06 April 2024 ©Hugo Moreira
Raimundo Ferreira, ensuring the continuity of its legacy. Since that time, the new partners have invested in professional training, both nationally and internationally, and incorporated new technologies, maintaining the prestige and transparency inherited from previous generations. Following the passing of Carlos Ferreira and Maria Papoula in 2022, the company became fully owned by Roberto and José António, consolidating the leadership of the new generation.
In 2009, marking fifty years of activity, Funerária Ferreira renewed its institutional image by registering the brand and creating a dedicated website.
In 2015, a new space was acquired on Rua Direita de Santa Catarina, in Ponta Delgada, to create a funeral center. The first phase, completed on March 4, 2017, included offices and warehouses, which became the company’s new headquarters. In 2024, the second phase was inaugurated: the São Lázaro Funeral Center, featuring a viewing room and a thanatopraxy room. This unique regional project integrates all services in a single location, providing a professional and respectful environment suitable for every stage of the funeral process.
In 2026, Funerária Ferreira innovated once again by introducing the first electric funeral vehicle to the Azores, reinforcing our commitment to modernising the sector and adopting increasingly sustainable practices.
We were in the past, we are today, and we strive to remain in the future a company in constant growth. We are dedicated to continuously updating all relevant practices to further dignify the funeral sector, ensuring the continuity of the prestige earned over more than half a century of Funerária Ferreira®.
