MODESTO, Calif., November 7, 2025 — The Portuguese Fraternal Society of America (PFSA), the largest Portuguese fraternal benefit society in North America, proudly honored exemplary entrepreneur and community leader José do Rosário Bettencourt Cabeceiras de Ávila, owner and publisher of The Portuguese Tribune (Tribuna Portuguesa), with the 2025 Portuguese Community Service Award during its annual convention held in Modesto, California.
The award recognizes José Ávila’s decades of dedication, leadership, and service to the Portuguese-American communities, both in California and beyond.
Born in 1945 in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores, to parents from the neighboring island of Graciosa, José Ávila spent his early childhood in Santa Cruz da Graciosa before returning to Angra do Heroísmo to complete his secondary education. He served twice in the Portuguese Army and studied electrical engineering at the Universidade de Aveiro. During the final year of the Estado Novo regime, he was recalled to military service in Mafra and remained in uniform through Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1974.
In 1967, José married Ilda Maria Silva Vale in Angra do Heroísmo. Together they raised three children — Miguel Ávila (San José, California), Roberto Ávila (Iași, Romania), and Paula Ávila-Hernandez (Dublin, California) — and are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren residing in San Francisco, Berkeley, Dublin, San José (California), West Lafayette (Indiana), and Tampa and Orlando (Florida).
Professionally, José Ávila devoted many years to Portugal’s national telecommunications company, CTT, where he served in management positions on the islands of São Jorge and Terceira. In 1983, he immigrated with his family to Milpitas, California, beginning a successful career in high technology with Hewlett-Packard (HP). There, he helped oversee major business transitions, including the relocation of HP’s printer distribution operations from San José to the Sacramento area and later to Memphis, Tennessee.
Following his retirement from HP, José and Ilda moved to Modesto, California, in 2003, where they acquired The Portuguese Tribune, a historic publication to strengthen connections with the Portuguese-speaking community of the San Joaquin Valley and to continue to serve the Portuguese-speaking community in California’s San Joaquin Valley and across the West Coast. Under their leadership and stewardship over the last 22 years, the newspaper has continued to thrive as a vital voice for the Portuguese diaspora — today, it remains the only Portuguese-language newspaper on the West Coast of the United States.
In 2023, after 20 years in Modesto, José and Ilda Ávila returned to San José, bringing The Portuguese Tribune back to its city of origin to continue its vital mission of informing, connecting, and celebrating the Portuguese-American communities.
José Ávila’s life reflects a steadfast commitment to family, culture, service, and the Portuguese communities. PFSA praised José Ávila for his “exceptional volunteer service and valuable contributions to the betterment of the Portuguese community.” The organization stated it was “honored to recognize his lasting contributions and celebrate his enduring legacy” through this year’s Portuguese Community Service Award.
From Portuguese Tribune Press release sent by Miguel Ávila.
Novidades, by Bruma Publications from PBBI-Fresno State, congratulates Jose Ávila and his family.
Novidades - The Islands and the Diaspora 