Obituary for Katherine Valenti (Valenti)
Katherine “Kathy” Valenti Ortiz, 72, passed away on September 9, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. Kathy was born the youngest daughter of the late Emilio and Mary Romano in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Clara Barton High School for Health Professions, Kathy began her career in nursing. She worked as a Labor and Delivery Nurse at Long Island College Hospital for 20 years before moving to Los Angeles. There, Kathy founded and ran a comprehensive childbirth education program as part of Women’s Healthcare Associates in Santa Monica until her retirement in 2009.
Kathy always made sure that her career was balanced with her role as mother to her daughter, Nikki. Whether it was volunteering on the Meadow Oaks Parents’ Association, driving Nikki to dance and ice-skating lessons, or sitting on the side lines of soccer games, Kathy was the epitome of a loving mom.
The last ten years of her life were spent in her most beloved role: Mamaw. She always said her greatest gift in life were her granddaughters, Evelyn and Vivian, and the time she had with them. Even through her lengthy treatment for breast cancer years ago, Kathy was a daily presence in their lives. “My girls are my heartbeat,” she would say and it showed in everything that she did.
Kathy is survived by her love of 40 years, Louis Ortiz of Duxbury; her daughter Nikki Ortiz-Tatarka and her husband Nick of Middleboro; her granddaughters Evelyn and Vivian; her dear sister Joan Fasso of The Villages, Florida.
Her funeral mass will be celebrated at Saint Ann By The Sea Church on Saturday, September 14th at 10:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. There will be no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause close to Kathy’s heart, or Dana Farber Cancer Institute, whose physicians helped save her life years ago.
Kathy always made sure that her career was balanced with her role as mother to her daughter, Nikki. Whether it was volunteering on the Meadow Oaks Parents’ Association, driving Nikki to dance and ice-skating lessons, or sitting on the side lines of soccer games, Kathy was the epitome of a loving mom.
The last ten years of her life were spent in her most beloved role: Mamaw. She always said her greatest gift in life were her granddaughters, Evelyn and Vivian, and the time she had with them. Even through her lengthy treatment for breast cancer years ago, Kathy was a daily presence in their lives. “My girls are my heartbeat,” she would say and it showed in everything that she did.
Kathy is survived by her love of 40 years, Louis Ortiz of Duxbury; her daughter Nikki Ortiz-Tatarka and her husband Nick of Middleboro; her granddaughters Evelyn and Vivian; her dear sister Joan Fasso of The Villages, Florida.
Her funeral mass will be celebrated at Saint Ann By The Sea Church on Saturday, September 14th at 10:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. There will be no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause close to Kathy’s heart, or Dana Farber Cancer Institute, whose physicians helped save her life years ago.