Mary Louise (Balzotti) Valente age 57, of Brockton died Wednesday April 4, 2012 surrounded by her family at the Life Care Center in West Bridgewater after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She was the devoted wife of Joseph R. Valente. Mary was born and raised in Brockton a daughter of Elizabeth “Betty” (Spakowski) Balzotti of Brockton and the late Genesio J. Balzotti. Mary lived most of her life in Brockton and was a 1972 graduate of Brockton High School. She had received her degree in education from Bridgewater State College in 1976 and master’s degree in education from Fitchburg College in 2002.
Mary began her thirty-three year career in teaching with the City of Brockton in 1977. She taught at the BB Russell, Gilmore, Paine and Kennedy Elementary Schools. Mary took great pride in the successes and accomplishments of all her students.
Mary’s family loved to refer to her as “the hostess with the mostess” or Martha Stewart because she loved to entertain and everything had to be just perfect. She was also a thoughtful person who remembered her friends at Christmas and birthdays and even their children on special occasions. Mary was affectionately known as the city’s “first sister”.
In addition to her husband and mother, Mary is survived by her loving sisters and brother Linda M. Balzotti, Mayor of Brockton, Gina Balzotti Sheridan and her husband Gary of Hanover and James R. Balzotti of Brockton. She was a special aunt of Emily and Kathryn Sheridan and sister-in-law of Deborah Gildea of North Attleboro and Diane and Robert McCarthy of Newton and their children Robert and Nicole McCarthy. She also leaves an aunt, an uncle and many cousins and her mother-in-law Constance Valente of Lincoln, RI.
Visiting hours will be held in the Conley Funeral Home 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) Brockton Tuesday 3-8 pm. The funeral procession will gather at the funeral home on Wednesday at 8 am for a Funeral Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 9 am. Burial will be at a later date in Calvary Cemetery. Donations in Mary’s name may be made to the Kennedy School Playground Fund 900 Ash St., Brockton, MA 02301.