Margaret "Midge" Viera



Margaret “Midge” Viera  

Margaret “Midge” Viera, a retired nurse and a thoughtful, devoted mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 81 on March 16, 2023. Midge  warmed the hearts of family and friends – and adopted  her family’s friends as her own - with a kind word, a hug, and a warm smile for all.   

 The former Margaret Dearborn, known by all as “Midge,” a nickname she earned as the youngest of 10 and because of her petite stature, was born on July 31, 1941, in Mount Kisco, N.Y.  Her family moved to Long Island when she was a child and she called it her home for the majority of her life.  

Midge raised three children, Michelle, Mary Ann and Marty, with Richard Viera, whom she married on Aug. 18, 1962.  

She received a diploma in nursing from the New York Foundling Hospital and earned an Associate’s degree in nursing from Suffolk County Community College while raising her children.  

Midge was part of the first nursing staff at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she proudly implemented many new protocols, including discharging the first patient to be sent home with IV nutrition.      

During her nursing career, she gained experience in high-risk obstetrics, pediatrics, and home care, before dedicating more than 20 years  as a beloved school nurse on Long Island,  in Florida and New Jersey. It was a career that “Nurse Midge,’’ was passionate about. She absolutely adored the schoolchildren and relished entertaining them with the charming character pins she wore and changed daily to their delight.  She also enjoyed their tales as she showered them with affection and compassionate care. She finished her career in nursing for children with special needs.  

In her free time, Midge most enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her seven grandchildren, who kept her up to date with the latest music and technology. She also was a fixture at their sporting events. She never shied away from learning new skills, and amazed others with her savvy computer and iPad proficiencies.  

Midge was a self-described Disney “fanatic,’’ visiting the Orlando parks dozens of times, and taking annual trips with a variety of friends and family. She delighted in the time she spent there with her sisters, Dotty and Shirley, and Lorraine Barron, an in-law who was especially close to her heart.  

She was also talented when it came to word games, like Words with Friends, and the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. She never turned down an invitation to play cards and was known to spread the joy of playing “Golf,’’ with anyone willing to join her.    

She also loved connecting with friends and family on Facebook when she couldn’t be with them. She was always good for a comment on your status and could be counted on to paste numerous emojis on your page to share praise and support.    

Midge rarely forgot a birthday and friends and extended family members were always touched when they received her cards and notes by mail on their special days when they were apart. This past Valentine’s Day, she really upped her game and sent cards to her favorite couples.  

Midge did visit friends and family often, and up until recently thought nothing of driving more than 100 miles to visit the homes of her daughters and their families. There, she won the hearts of their friends, neighbors, and extended families, and delighted them with her sense of humor, keen life wisdom and baking and cooking skills. Apple pies, meatballs, pea soup, lasagna and Thanksgiving Day stuffing were just some of the specialties the family happily gathered to enjoy, and many a freezer was packed with the leftovers for the times they’d be apart.  

Midge loved taking and collecting photographs and was passionate about making scrapbooks of the hundreds she assembled. She was also talented with a sewing machine.    

Aside from the homes of her family and friends, her second-favorite place to spend time was the beach. She was particularly fond of Cupsogue, where her son, Marty, was a lifeguard and always had a spot reserved for her.     

Midge is survived by her daughters, Michelle Barron (Bill) Mary Ann Bonomo (Dave); her son, Martin “Mart” Viera (Eileen), Grandsons, Kevin (Alli), Peter and Conor Barron; David, Jack and Michael Bonomo, and Xavier Viera.  

Visitations will take place on Sunday, March 19, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Monday, March 20, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, March 21, at 11 a.m. in St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Wading River. She will be laid to rest at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, 3442 NY-112 Coram, N.Y. 11727. 

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