Maria de Jesus Simões Barroso Soares, GCL (2 May 1925 – 7 July 2015) was a

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and actress, wife of

President of Portugal The president of Portugal, officially the president of the Portuguese Republic ( pt, Presidente da República Portuguesa, ), is the head of state and highest office of Portugal. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, an ...

Mario Soares is a character (arts), character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in ...

and

First Lady of Portugal First Lady of Portugal (Portuguese: ''primeira-dama'') is the unofficial title attributed to the wife or Partner of the president of Portugal. To date, there has been no First Gentleman, first gentleman of Portugal. The current First Lady is Rita ...

between 1986 and 1996.

Biography

Barroso was the daughter of military Alfredo José Barroso from Alvor, in

Algarve The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese). The region has it ...

, and Maria da Encarnação Simões, from Fuseta,

Olhão Olhão (), officially known as Olhão da Restauração, is a city and municipality in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 45,396, in an area of . Located near the regional capital Faro and formi ...

, also in the Portuguese region of Algarve. While at university, she performed in the National Theatre for four years but was later removed as a result of her political positions as member of the Democratic Opposition to the regime of

Antonio Salazar Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 40 ...

. Even though qualified to do so, during the regimes of Salazar and

Marcelo Caetano Marcelo José das Neves Alves Caetano (; 17 August 1906 – 26 October 1980) was a Portuguese politician and scholar. He was the second and last leader of the Estado Novo after succeeding António Salazar. He served as prime minister from 196 ...

, she was forbidden to teach, even in private schools. Maria Barroso married her university colleague Mario Soares in 1949 at the 3rd Conservatory of the Civil Register of Lisbon, while he was in the Aljube prison. They had one son, politician João Soares, born 1949, and a daughter, Isabel Barroso Soares, born 1951, who manages the Colégio Moderno in Lisbon.Biography: Maria de Jesus Simões Barroso Soares
prodignitate.pt. Curriculum of Maria Barroso, retrieved 7 July 2015 Although not as politically involved as her husband, Maria Barroso was a founding member of the

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...

Bad Münstereifel Bad Münstereifel () is a historical spa town in the district of Euskirchen, Germany, with about 17,000 inhabitants, situated in the far southwest of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The little town is one of only a few historical tow ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in 1973. She was the President of the Aristides Sousa Mendes Foundation, the ''Pro Dignitate Association'' and the head of the Portuguese

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

for several years. Maria Barroso had a degree in Historical and Philosophical Sciences from the Faculty of Arts, Lisbon and the course of Dramatic Arts from the National Conservatory. She was a member of the Portuguese National Theater Company and one of the most famous theater and cinema actresses in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. In April 2000 she read the poetry of

Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen (6 November 1919 – 2 July 2004) was a Portuguese poet and writer. Her remains have been entombed in the National Pantheon since 2014. Life and career Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen was born on 6 November ...

at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

to Aristides Sousa Mendes. She was involved in activities aimed at supporting the areas of culture, education and family, childhood, social solidarity, female dimension, health, the integration of the disabled and the prevention of violence.

Illness and death

In June 2015, she came under medical care at Lisbon’s Red Cross Hospital, following an accident at her home. According to the family, she fell, then was transported to the hospital. Early exams revealed nothing, but her condition worsened and new exams revealed an extensive

intracranial hemorrhage Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), also known as intracranial bleed, is bleeding within the skull. Subtypes are intracerebral bleeds ( intraventricular bleeds and intraparenchymal bleeds), subarachnoid bleeds, epidural bleeds, and subdural bleeds. ...

. She entered a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...

and her nephew, surgeon Eduardo Barroso, classified the situation as "critical" and "most likely irreversible". She died on the morning of 7 July 2015.

Honours and awards

Honours

National honours

* Portugal ** : Grand Cross of the

Order of Liberty The Order of Liberty, or the Order of Freedom ( pt, Ordem da Liberdade), is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human di ...

** : Recipient of the Red Cross Medal **

Portuguese Royal Family The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...

: Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Isabel

Foreign honours

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of Rio Branco The Order of Rio Branco (''Ordem de Rio Branco'') is an honorific order of Brazil instituted by decree 51.697 of February 5, 1963. It is named in honor of the Brazilian diplomat José Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco. The President of Brazil serves ...

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of Boyaca Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Leopard * : Grand Cross of the

Order of the White Rose The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. T ...

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

* : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1st Class * : ** : Dame Grand Cross of the

* : Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Adolphe of Nassau The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (french: Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d’Adolphe de Nassau) is an order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for meritorious service to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House ...

* : Dame of the

Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg The Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (French: ''Ordre de Mérite du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg'') is an order of merit of Luxembourg, instituted on 23 January 1961 by Grand Duchess Charlotte. Grand Master (order), Grand Master of the ...

* : Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown * : Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

http://cadenaser00.epimg.net/ser/imagenes/2015/07/07/internacional/1436258274_757585_1436258641_noticia_normal.jpg * : Member Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of Francisco de Miranda The Order of Francisco de Miranda (''Orden Francisco de Miranda'') is conferred by the Republic of Venezuela in memory of Francisco de Miranda (1754–1816). This national honor and decoration was created to recognize Venezuelan citizens and forei ...

Awards

* Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Aveiro * Doctorate Honoris Causa by the University of Lisbon * Doctor Honoris Causa by Lesley College, Boston * Honorary Professor of the Society of International Studies, Madrid * Award "Impegno Per La Pace" of the Association Insieme per la Pace, Rome * Award "Beca" by the Colégio Mayor Zurbaran, Madrid * Gold Medal for Distinct Service from the League of Portuguese Firemen * Medal of Solidarity from CNAF * Silver Medal of the Alcuin Award * Gold Medal from FERLAP * Gold Medal from the City of Ovar * Gold Medal from the City of Olhão * Gold Medal from the City of Faro * Personality of the Year 1998 in the area of solidarity by the Magazine Revista Gente e Viagem * Algarvia (lady from the Algarve region) of the Year 1997 by the Association of the Algarve’s Regional Press * Most Elegant Woman of the Year 1998 – Magazine Revista VIP * Neckband of the International Academy of Portuguese Culture * “One in ten women of the year 1999” Prize – Brazil * D. Antónia Ferreira Prize * Prestige Prize * “Manus Cais” Trophy * “Lonely Life” Prize – Radio Central FM, Leiria

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barroso, Maria 1925 births 2015 deaths First Ladies of Portugal Socialist Party (Portugal) politicians Portuguese anti-fascists Portuguese film actresses Portuguese actor-politicians People from Olhão Spouses of prime ministers of Portugal Grand Crosses of the Order of Liberty Dames of the Order of Saint Isabel Recipients of the Ordre national du Mérite Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Knights of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Recipients of the Order of the House of Orange Grand Crosses of the Order of the House of Orange Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star 20th-century Portuguese women politicians Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in Portugal Deaths from intracranial haemorrhage