Maureen Valentine
East Lyme — Maureen Loughlin Valentine, 79, of East Lyme, passed away Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, after a short battle with cancer, at Beechwood Post-Acute and Transitional Care Facility in New London.
She will be remembered as a loving spouse to her husband of 52 years. “Mo’s” quiet, loving and unassuming nature, quick Irish wit and affectionate smile, love for people, family and friends sustained her until the end. Her mission in life was her family, being dedicated to raising her three sons and two daughters with the support of her husband. She will be dearly missed.
She was born in Bristol on May 21, 1938, the daughter of Frank and Eleanor Coffey Loughlin. She was the wife of Winfred Valentine, whom she married on May 8, 1965, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bristol.
Maureen is survived by her husband, Winfred “Val” Valentine; son, Mark Valentine and daughter-in-law, Sian Valentine, and grandchildren, Grant and Quinn Valentine, of Medina, Ohio; son, Eric Valentine and daughter-in-law, Gretchen Valentine, and grandchildren, Madeline, Emma and Alexandra Valentine, of Bordentown, N.J.; daughter, Allison Valentine Fernandes and son-in-law, Tony Fernandes, and grown children, Laurel and Elliott Fernandes, of Jupiter, Fla.; son, Matthew Valentine of Waterford; and daughter, Lynn Valentine of West Palm Beach, Fla.
Maureen is also survived by her loving sister, Julia Dauphinais and brother-in-law, Andy Dauphinais, of Bristol, nephews Chris and David Dauphinais, and niece Susan Kozikowski; and her sister, Theresa Mertens and brother-in-law, Randy Mertens, of Bristol, niece Maureen Mertens Hattersley, and nephew Jared Mertens. Additionally, Maureen is survived by her brother-in-law, Jay Valentine and his wife, Helene Valentine, of Clinton, and nieces Holly Valentine and Laura Valentine.
Calling hours are from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons East Lyme Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday in St. Matthias Church in East Lyme, with interment to follow at the East Lyme Cemetery.
Special thanks to Dr. Benjamin Newton and the team of oncologists and nurses at Smilow Cancer Center, the Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in the Yale New Haven Health System, Dr. C. Manthous, Dr. Ingrid Feder, and the nurses who treated her during August through September of this year. The family would also like to thank the Palliative Care team at Lawrence + Memorial, especially Leslea Knisel for her support and sound advice. Finally, a special thanks to the nurses and staff at Beechwood whose care was unwavering, and especially to Glennis, in whom Maureen had so much confidence.
In lieu of flowers and in honor of Maureen, the family requests that donations be made in Maureen’s memory to Lawrence + Memorial/Yale New Haven Health Smilow Cancer Hospital’s Thoracic Oncology Transitional Research Fund at www.givetoynhh.org.
Condolences may be shared on Maureen’s memorial page at www.neilanfuneralhome. com.