Hundreds of people, mostly employees of the Nabeiro Group – Delta Cafés, greeted the funeral procession of businessman Rui Nabeiro on Monday at the entrance to Campo Mayor shortly after 10:00 am with applause and strong emotions.
A banner saying “Thank you Mr. Rui” was placed in the center of the roundabout, and people who wanted to pay this last tribute as the funeral procession passed by surrounded the entrance to the businessman’s birth village in Portalegre District.
As soon as the hearse pulled into the roundabout, the crowd applauded. Since many people were dressed in black as a sign of mourning, tears were visible on many faces, especially those of group companies identified by the Delta badge on their chests.
The funeral procession made its way to the group’s production complex, where the Novadelta factory, the Coffee Science Center and the Adega Mayor are located, and will pass through the group’s other production units scattered around the village.
The people gathered at the roundabout then dispersed through the village, and a little further on, in the City Garden, many took up position to watch the procession pass again towards the Mother Church.
At one end of the garden is a statue of Commander Rui Nabeiro. At the base, the Lusa agency noticed several lighted candles and flowers arranged by famous people, as well as a white wreath in the hands of a sculpture depicting a businessman.
“Since yesterday [domingo, dia em que o empresário morreu] that people started laying flowers at the statue, even old ladies,” said Lusa Natividade Pereira, 60, who was born and raised in Campo Mayor.
Having already been at the roundabout, Natividade waited in the garden to see the funeral procession again and reminded Lusa that she had known “Mr. Rui since she was a little girl”.
“My parents lived in the same place as him, on Republic Square, when he was a child, and they remember how many times they saw him barefoot,” he recalled.
Rui Nabeiro, who comes from modest backgrounds and has become one of Portugal’s biggest businessmen, “has always been a very simple man,” said a resident.
“If there were more such businessmen in the country, it would be very good,” he said.
There were a lot of popular people in the garden while they waited, who took the opportunity to drink Delta coffee from one of the stalls.
Businessman Rui Nabeiro, founder of Grupo Nabeiro – Delta Cafés, died on Sunday at the age of 91 from an illness at da Luz Hospital in Lisbon.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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