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Mary (Suardini) Valenti

Mary Valenti

ISHPEMING, MI – Mary (Suardini) Valenti, age 77 of 572 Poplar St. Ishpeming passed away on Friday, December 16, 2016 at her home while in the loving care of her family and UP Home Health & Hospice.

Mary was born in North Lake on May 19, 1939 to the late Charles & Linda (Zambetti) Suardini. She graduated from St. Paul’s High School in 1958 and started her banking career right out of high school at the Miners Bank in Ishpeming. Mary worked there for 10 years, until she married her first and only love, Jerome Valenti.

Mary took a few years from banking to raise her only son, Paul, and she worked in the cafeteria at Phelps School off and on until she went back to banking in 1984, working for Michigan Financial and finally retiring from Wells Fargo in 2001. She loved banking and all the many friends she made there.

Mary enjoyed movies, especially Westerns with John Wayne, and she was an wonderful baker and cook. Mary liked her many church committees at St. Joseph Catholic Church and being on the Altar Guild, Grief Support,St. Anne’s Society, Cemetery Board, Paisano Club, Lady Druids, and her Italian heritage. She enjoyed her many trips to Italy and meeting her many relatives in Italy, she kept in touch with all of them by e-mail and letters. She managed to communicate with all of them with her Italian dictionary. Mary was also a wonderful caretaker to the elderly.

Mary is survived by her husband of 51 years, Jerry Valenti, 1 brother Pete (Janet) Suardini of Ishpeming, brother in law Paul (Sherry) Valenti of Las Vegas, NV, sisters in law: Michel Lantz of Englewood, FL and June Nyman of Houghton, along with many special loved nieces, nephews and more great nieces and great nephews. Mary’s family would like to acknowledge some of Mary’s special friends that include: Paulette Farmer, Mary St. Andre, Audrey Ruspakka, Kathy Eliason and Nancy Coron.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her dear son Paul, a brother Joseph (Mary Lou) Suardini, brothers in law: Keith Lantz, and Bernhardt Nyman, and sisters in law: Hope (Gerald) McCormick, and Lorraine Corlett.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ishpeming with Fr. Dan Moll as celebrant. Mary’s family will greet relatives and friends at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Tuesday from 10:00 am until the time of service at 12:00 Noon.

Interment will take place next to her son Paul at the Ishpeming Cemetery.

A luncheon will follow the service in the church fellowship hall.

Pallbearers will be Gerald “J.P.”, Charlie, and Michael Suardini, Angelo and Michael Bosio and Scott Corkin.

Memorial considerations may be directed to UP Home Health & Hospice or the Paul Valenti Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Grant Kierzek- Wells Fargo 101 W. Washington St. Marquette, MI 49855.

Mary’s obituary may be viewed at bjorkandzhulkie.com where relatives and friends may leave a note of remembrance.