WEST YARMOUTH — Abel Correia, 91, of West Yarmouth, formerly of Worcester, died peacefully Dec. 30, 2011.He was born on Sept. 30, 1920, in New Bedford, to Serafim and Mariana (Souza), both of whom emigrated from the Azores.He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley (Riddell) Correia; daughter Christine, son-in-law Jonathan, and dearly loved grandchildren Abegail and Benjamin Dube of West Yarmouth; son Peter, daughter-in-law Joanne, and beloved grandchildren Samantha and Lukas Correia of Shrewsbury; son Franklin Correia; daughter Marty Correia and daughter-in-law Kate Conroy of New York, N.Y.; and his beloved son Tony John. Surviving siblings Hilda Jasinski, Arthur and sister-in-law Barbara Correia were predeceased by Joseph, Mary, Sarafina and Lillian. Abel leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews, and in-laws.Abel worked as a shoe leather cutter in New Bedford before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II, in which he sailed the Pacific and won several medals. In 1947 he joined the vaudeville adagio group The Three Glenns, who performed in dozens of theaters from New York City to Las Vegas. When the act performed in Sydney, Australia, Abel met his wife, Tivoli Theater ballet dancer Shirley Riddell. Married in 1949, the couple lived in Australia for 10 years before moving to the U.S. with their three sons.From 1960 to 1981, Abel worked as a custodian for Worcester Public Schools and was notorious as the most entertaining and agile janitor the city had ever employed.After moving to Cape Cod, Abel worked for 19 years as the gatekeeper at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in Hyannis. At the park, Abel greeted thousands of visitors from around the world, speaking to them in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. This welcoming spirit earned him a proclamation from Barnstable in 1989 and an interview in the 2006 book, Looking for Goodwill by Pat and Scott Price. The authors chose Abel because he was a "young" 83-year-old working retiree with a positive outlook.Well respected for his stalwart work ethic and dedication to his family and friends, Abel was also a proud Democrat and devoted Red Sox fan. The family thanks EPOCH of Harwich for their loving care and services.Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Morris, O'Connor & Blute Funeral Home, 58 Long Pond Drive, South Yarmouth. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Saint Francis Xavier Church, South Street, Hyannis. Burial will be in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.Gifts in his memory may be made to a charity of your choice.

Notes of comfort and sympathy may be sent to Abel's family at www.MorrisOConnorBlute.com.