Manuel Curado Mira

Manuel Curado Mira, age 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Franklin on Thursday, August 17, 2017, after a courageous battle with cancer.  Born on September 16, 1933, in the humble village of Moinhos de Carvide, a small town in the Leiria District in Portugal, Manuel soon moved to Lisbon where he would spend his first eighteen years.  Armed with little more than a primary education and knowledge gleaned from an electronics correspondence course, Manuel relocated to Brazil, but not before he was able to to win the affections of a young seamstress by the name of Maria Lourdes.  On January 10, 1954, Manuel and Maria were married by proxy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  His bride would arrive from Lisbon by ship six months later.

Several years later, Manuel’s journey would take him to Toronto, Canada, with wife and his newborn son, Carlos Robert Mira, in tow.  While in Canada, Manuel and Maria also gave birth to their daughter, Teresa Reis Mira, in 1958.  After years of hard work in the realm of electrical engineering, Manuel created MirTone, a leading manufacturer of Healthcare Communications Equipment.  This experience would ultimately culminate in the establishment of TekTone Sound and Signal in 1973.  Established with only four employees and headquartered in Lake Park, Florida, Tektone would later consolidate all of its operations in Franklin, North Carolina and develop into a successful intercommunication company serving markets on five continents.  

In addition to creating a successful business, Manuel also authored two books, The Forgotten Portuguese and The Portuguese Making of America, which both explored issues of the Portuguese contributions to American identity.  As an outgrowth of his interest in his beloved home country of Portugal, Manuel also established the Portuguese-American Historical and Research Foundation (PAHRF).  The foundation was established to increase the visibility of the achievements of Portuguese-Americans and provide scholarships to Portuguese-American students. Manuel was also instrumental in the formation and support of several social clubs and Portuguese language schools dedicated to the preservation of the Portuguese culture.

Through it all, Manuel felt that his greatest accomplishment was being able to pass on his dedication, passion, and undying love to the next generation and beyond.  Manuel always believed that his family was his greatest source of pride.  Through them, his journey does not end, but continues for generations to come.  

Manuel Mira is survived by his wife, Maria Mira; two children, Carlos Mira (Sheila) and Teresa Mira Knippel (John); six grandchildren, Wesley Mira (Tatiana), John Mira-Knippel (Karmen), Melissa Faetz (Tyler), Ryan Mira, Michelle Mira, and Kimberly Pinkston (Jesse); and eleven great grandchildren.

The funeral will take place at St. Francis Catholic Church in Franklin, NC at 11:00 am on Thursday, August 24th.  A celebration of life will follow at 1:00 pm at the Bloemsma Barn.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Care Partners, 170 Church Street, Franklin, NC 28734 or MemoryCare of Asheville, 100 Far Horizons Ln. Asheville, NC 28803 in honor of Maria Mira.  

The family would like to especially thank the nurses and caregivers that were there for him during the last several months.  We can never truly express the gratitude we have for the help you provided to our family.  Sempre à frente!

Bryant-Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Mira family. Online condolences may be made at bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.

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