Genevieve DeSouza

Genevieve Lawlor DeSouza, age 92, of Fort Walton Beach, passed away peacefully at home on March 28, 2023.  Mrs. DeSouza was born in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada to Felix & Isabella Lawlor.

Mrs. DeSouza will forever be known as a devoted, humble, and willing servant of God.  Her life was lived in ministry to others.  To share her faith, she was generous with her time, effort, and money.  To help spread the devotion of Fatima, she founded the Our Lady of Fatima Visitation Program—a ministry she worked tirelessly for forty years at St. Mary’s Parish.  As a Carmelite, Genevieve was quite contemplative and prayed the Liturgy of the Hours daily.   She was at one time an active member of The Legion of Mary.  Later, her membership moved to an auxiliary member. Mrs. DeSouza was a part of many charitable organizations including the Boy Scouts of America and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.  In an effort to broaden and deepen her faith, she traveled extensively and made many pilgrimages.   When she wasn’t sharing her faith with others, she enjoyed cooking.  Her family and friends will always remember her Green Mountain Salad, Turkey Neck Gumbo.  Mrs. DeSouza was the most zealous, caring, and devoted wife to Tiago De Souza.  Happily married for twenty-eight years, the Eucharist and the Rosary were the center of their lives together.

She is survived by her loving husband of twenty-eight years, Tiago DeSouza; children, Gail Chancellor, Eugene Seilhan, Sharon Hardie, Patricia Seilhan, Carl Seilhan, Jude Seilhan, and Gary Seilhan; grandchildren, Kim, Kara, Shawnna, Carlton, Joshua, Jeremy, Jillian, Jamie, and Jude; great-grandchildren, Aaron, Travis, Ashton, Benjamin, Alexander, Carlton, Juliet, Jace, Jayden, Hazel, Brantley, and Jordan; great-great-grandchildren, Alli Jo & Hank; siblings, Madeline Weeks, Angela Faga, and Eugene Lawlor; and a host of family, loved ones, and friends.

Mrs. DeSouza is preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband Carlton Lewis Seilhan; grandson, Chad; and siblings, Uriel, Maureen, Joey, Andrew, Francis, Mary, Patrick, and Mercedes.  The family will receive guests for a visitation on Thursday, April 13, 2023 between 5:00pm – 7:00pm, with the Rosary and Litany of the Saints beginning at 5:00pm.  To view the live stream of Thursday's visitation, please click https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY4MTQzNDA4ODI0NjA3OSZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw== A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 14, 2023 at 11:00am at St. Mary Catholic Church, in Fort Walton Beach.  Interment will follow the mass at Beal Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation directly to St. Mary Catholic Church.