Arvetta M. (Walters) Souza

Arvetta M. (Walters) Souza, a longtime resident of Malden, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, after a brief illness at the age of 90. Arvetta was born in Burlington, Colorado in 1935, the daughter of Roy and Elizabeth Walters and step-daughter of Violet Walters. She was raised in Colorado and came to the Boston area at an early age, where she attended business school, before taking employment as a bookkeeper. In April of 1959, she married her sweetheart, Manuel Souza, and the two settled down together to raise their family. They shared the next 67 years of marriage together. While being a busy and devoted housewife and mother, she also worked as a bookkeeper for the family’s trucking business for many years. 

A dedicated member of St. Joseph Church in Malden, she served as CCD Coordinator and as President of the Church Council. That experience led her to a lifetime of research on the evolution of spirituality, which resulted in the publishing of two books.

Arvetta is survived by her husband Manuel, her children, Leslie O’Brien of Brazil, Terri Mosquera of Hopkinton, Victor Souza and his wife Diana of Billerica, Roy Souza and his partner Wendy of Reading, Michelle Soucy and her husband Kevin of Barnstead, NH, and Julie Craig and her husband Andrew of Ipswich, England. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Christine, Douglas, Jessica, Vicky, Nathan, Samantha, Annmarie, Steven, Michaela, Andrew, Seamus, Anthony, Alex, Shane and Aubrey as well as 17 great grandchildren.

Arvetta was preceded in death by her son Michael, her brother Howard “Red” Walters and her sisters Phyllis Walters and Norma Walters.

Funeral services will be held from the Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, 144 Salem St Malden on Thursday, Jan 15th, at 9AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Joseph Church, Malden, at 10AM. 

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wed, January 14th, from 4 – 8PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association.

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