Ignatius Edward Valenti

Edward “Eddie or Ed” Valenti passed away peacefully on August 30, 2017 surrounded by his loving family. He was born Thanksgiving Day November 24, 1932 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The middle son to Antonino and Concetta Valenti.

His family moved to San Diego, California in 1948 and lived Downtown, which is known today as Little Italy. Frank Gibaldi was a family friend and Eddie often helped Frank bake bread at Gibaldi’s Bakery. After graduating from San Diego High School, he became a commercial fisherman which inspired both his love of travel and the sea. During the Korean War, he enlisted in the Coast Guard and after training in Connecticut was stationed off the coast of San Diego.

In 1955, Eddie married Rose Tancorra. He and Rose spent the next sixty-one years together raising their three daughters. They eventually welcomed three sons-in-law into the family, and were blessed with seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Ed was multi-talented and worked in a wide-range of careers over the years including: bartending, plumbing, automotive and diesel mechanics, tool designer, and finally owning and operating the Mart Cleaners, in La Mesa, for the last forty-five years. In 1972 the opportunity arose for him to purchase the cleaners with his mother-in-law Rose Tancorra. They, along with his wife Rose, his children, nieces, neighbors, friends, and grandchildren helped to make the business the success it is today.

Ed loved to tell stories of the “good ole days”, whether it was about tending bar with his father-in-law “Danny” Tancorra, or hunting and fishing with his brothers Mike and Joe, his brother-in-law Pat, Uncle Joe Dambrose and his cousin Frankie. He told about adventures in Las Vegas, spur of the moment weekends with cousins Pat and Jeannie, Frankie and Mae, Fina and Jim, seeing all the mainliners, gourmet dinners at the Top of The Mint, and hitting it big in the casinos.

Ed loved to travel and enjoyed many wonderful trips with his children and grandchildren. He visited Europe, Mexico and Maui on a yearly basis with his daughters and grandchildren; playing golf, snorkeling and seeing all the sights. He loved returning to Milwaukee to visit his family and attend Festa Italiano. He and Rose loved to gamble and for the past 25 years spent their leisure time at Barona.

Ed is survived by his wife, Rose, his daughters, Gloria, Jacki, and Krista, sons-in-law Ronald Gerak, K. C. Crandall, Brian Fordyce, his grandchildren, David, Alex, Christopher, Taylor, Justine, Kyle, Amy, Kyra and Jesse, and their great grandchildren Lucas, Cole, Oliva, Macie, and Jeramiah. Ed is also survived by his brother Joe Valenti, sisters-in-law June and Lena Valenti, and brother-in-law Pat Tancorra.

A Funeral Mass and Rosary will be held at Guardian Angels Catholic Church, 9310 Dalehurst Road in Santee on September 11, 2017 at 11 A.M. with a reception immediately following.