Valerie W. Farrell

Valerie Winters Farrell passed away on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at the age of 98. She almost made it to 100. She was the beloved wife of the late Walter J. Farrell, Jr. for 37 years and longtime and beloved companion of Sidney G. Montecino, Sr. She was divorced from her late ex-husband John D. Cozzens many years ago. Valerie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 16, 1926 to the late Robert and Cecile Winters. She was preceded in death by her only sibling, her sister Lois Winters Lanier, her grandson Scott Andrew Savona and her step-daughter Patricia Farrell Scott.

She is survived by her daughter, Valerie Cozzens (ex-Savona) Dube and her step-son Walter J. Farrell III. She is also survived by her grandchildren Robert (Cindy) Savona, Stacie (Dan) Daley and step- grandchildren Slade (Tamie) Lewis, Shannon Scott and Sharry Scott and Chris Farrell. She is survived by her great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her nephew Sidney Lee Lanier, Jr (Margaret) and his family. She loved all of them dearly and the feeling was mutual.

Val, as she was known, was born during the latter part of the Great Depression and was a teenager when the United States entered World War 2. She always shared stories about those times in her young life. Many were sad but many were of times going to socials at the USO, visiting the soldiers at hospitals and corresponding with them.

Anyone who knew Val knew she loved life and was the life of the party and as her daughter would say "knew how to work the room." Life, however, was not always easy when she was younger but she found a way to provide for herself and her daughter and she worked very hard. At 30 years of age, she was hired by South Central Bell and worked there for 25 years before retiring. Thankfully, God brought joy and security back into her life. She always had a smile on her face, kind word to say to make you feel special and a heart of gold. People were drawn to her because of her personality. She loved dancing and was an excellent dancer. Rarely did she miss a Saturday night as a member of many dance clubs. She had a gift too for dressing and accessorizing her outfits and she loved to share it with her daughter, her daughter's friends and granddaughters. They came to her for advice and it was always fun because stories came along with the visits. She also loved traveling and especially to see the leaves change, gardening, appreciating the beauty of nature and reading the newspaper (cover to cover.) She was a devoted daughter to her parents and took care of them until their deaths and then did the same for her second husband (Walter) until his death in 1993 from Parkinson's Disease. As beautiful as she was on the outside, her heart was even more beautiful.

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend services at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, LA on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Visitation will begin at 9am until 11am, A Mass of Christian Burial will follow in the chapel at 11am. Interment will then follow in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Boys Town www.boystown.org or Little Sisters of the Poor www.littlesistersofthepoor.org. To view and sign the guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com