Osla Flavia (deFigueiredo) Case

Passed away, in her sleep, at her home in Boston in the early hours of December 5, 2023. For 83 years she rode on the wave of God’s grace. She was unassuming, empathetic, warm, compassionate, and generous. She brushed aside comments on her beauty. She downplayed any references to her programs among the marginalized in India and Central America. Osla intuited when a person was treated unfairly.

While her opposition to bigotry and injustice was fearless, her compassionate side also shone in dealing with her opponents.

Osla was born to Michael Joseph Figueiredo and Herminia (Sequeira) Figueiredo on September 11, 1940 in Zanzibar, Tanzania, where she spent part of her youth before she moved with her family to Dar-es-salaam (Tanzania) and later to Nairobi (Kenya). In 1963, she left for her higher education in the United States where she eventually settled down.

Osla is survived by her husband Robert (Bob) William Case; children Alex and Fabiola; grandchildren Briana, Matthew and Tiah; great grandchildren Alexander and Michaea; and siblings Edna, Xavier, Teresa, Joe and Myrtle. She was preceded in death by her granddaughter Darah.

A graduate of Mount Saint Mary College, Hooksett, NH (1967, BA in Business) and North Eastern University, Boston MA (1984, MSc in Information Systems), Osla held several positions in business and systems analysis. Employers included the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and local government agencies.

Osla and Bob traveled widely and became interested in revolving loan funds in poor areas. With trips to her ancestral home in India, the need for agricultural renewal became apparent to Osla, and agriculture in India and Central America became an important focus. Osla and Bob treasured the two-week Permaculture Design course they took in Nicaragua in their seventies, living in a treehouse on the side of a volcano. 

Family and friends will honor and remember Osla’s life by gathering for a visiting hour in St. Cecilia Church, 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, on Monday morning, December 18, 2023 at 9:00 A.M. Followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:00 A.M.

To view Osla's Funeral Mass livestreamed, use the following link:

https://youtube.com/live/C2tyt9NQgrg?feature=share

Osla’s family strongly requests that no flowers be sent, so in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Empowerment International, c/o Kathy Adams, Visto Canterra Lane, Albuquerque, NM 87114.