Simonne Theresa (Turcotte) Valati, age 95, passed away peacefully on November 6 at the Ballou Home. She was the wife of the late Attilio Valati to whom she was married for 47 years, until his death in 1993. Throughout their marriage, they lived in Blackstone where they operated Henry’s Auto Parts, Inc.
Born in Joliette, P.Q. Canada, August 29, 1919, Simonne was the daughter of the late Regina (Laporte) Turcotte Beaubien and Alfred Turcotte. Her family immigrated to Woonsocket when she was a young child.
Simonne worked in the textile industry, predominently as a sewer for the WPA and at the French Worsted Company. She met her future husband while ballroom dancing at Joy Land. They married on February 9, 1946. Simonne dedicated her life to caring for her husband, children, grandchildren and many pets.
Simonne was a communicant at St. Theresa’s Church and St. Ann’s Church. In their early retirement years, she and Attilio enjoyed traveling with the Royal Travelers and Conway Tours. They were members of the Blackstone Lions Club.
Simonne was the loving mother of Frances Brew and husband Thomas of Boca Raton, FL, Louise Valati and husband Gregory Walsh of Cape Elizabeth, ME, and Henry Valati and partner Timothy Chuck of Blackstone. She leaves four grandchildren, Haley Brew McMurray, Brian Brew, Jasper Walsh and Jamie Walsh, and two great-grandsons, Colin and Owen McMurray.
In addition to her late husband, she is pre-deceased by siblings Reginald Turcotte, Jean Paul Turcotte, Alfreda Remillard, Julia Remillard and Jeanne d’Arc Lemire.
Her funeral service will be held on November 15th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, 84 Cumberland Street, Woonsocket, R.I. Visitation prior to service in St. Ann’s from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Family and friends are invited to attend. Internment at Precious Blood Cemetery is private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Simonne’s memory to St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center, P O Box 79, Woonsocket, RI 02895 (www.stannartsandculturalcenter.org) or Catholic Charities of Milford, 126 Main Street, Milford, MA 01757 (www.ccworc.org)
The family would like to thank the CNA’s, nurses, and staff at the Ballou Home for their loving and highly skilled care of Simonne during the last year of her life.