Mary Del Valle

Mary Del Valle, 99, passed away December 4, 2023 at Collier Hospice Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Mary passed away peacefully in her sleep, with family next to her bed. Prior to her death, Mary resided at Ralston Creek Neighborhood Assisted Living and Memory Care in Arvada, Colorado.

Mary was born October 9, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois to John and Angelina (Helen) Frantzis. She was baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church. At the early age of 10, Mary's father, John moved the family to Astoria, New York where he opened a restaurant.

At the tender age of 10, Mary's mother abandoned the family. Mary took on the role as mother to her older brother Peter and younger sister, Rella. She cooked for the family and cleaned their home, while their father worked long hours at the restaurant. It soon became evident, that Mary had a gift for cooking and being a caregiver.

After graduating from high school, Mary worked as a bookkeeper in the wholesale flower market, in New York City, where she met her future husband, Julio Del Valle, who was also employed in the flower market. They married in 1949 and shortly thereafter moved to their new home in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Julio and Mary raised five children in the home. Their names all starting with an R, were Richard, Robert, Ronnie, Randy and finally a girl, Robin. Mary welcomed motherhood full of grace, providing a healthy nurturing home for her family. She seldom raised her voice, even when disciplining her children. She cuddled, encouraged, and provided a stable loving home for her children to play, learn, grow and mature.

Her gift for cooking was legendary in the neighborhood, in particular her Greek dishes of Dolmades, Spanakopita and Baklava. Everyone left her table, satisfied and very full!

Mary always had a thirst for education and knowledge. While raising her family, she attended night school at Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey learning skills for the rise of the computer age. She also took courses in astronomy. Her plan was to eventually return to employment after her children were grown. In 1977, that came to fruition out of necessity when Mary and Julio divorced. When she moved to Colorado she took flying lessons, hoping to obtain her pilot’s license.

Mary and Robin, her only child still living with her, moved to Colorado to start a new life. For a short while she worked two jobs as a bookkeeper at Evergreen Bank in Evergreen and C&C Manufacturing in Englewood. Eventually, C&C Manufacturing would be her full-time job. She used her computer skills she learned at Fairleigh Dickenson University and Arapahoe Community College to bring this company into the computer age for accounting. Mary retired from C&C Manufacturing in 1999.

Mary had five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, who affectionately called her, Yaya, which is Greek for grandmother. Her son Robert worked in law enforcement in Steamboat Springs. Often Robert and fellow officers traveled to the Denver area for investigations. His fellow officers knew of Mary's gift for cooking. Instead of going to restaurants, they often asked to eat at “Yaya's” They too called her Yaya. This became a regular routine, and Yaya was excited to share her gift for cooking.

Mary's talents for cooking, care-giving and loving-kindness were gifts from God. Mary gave glory to God by using her gifts and talents. Amen.

During the last few years of Mary's life at Ralston Creek Neighborhood, her oldest son Richard and his wife Carol, living in Florida, called her every day to see how she was doing. Her son Ron, daughter-in-law Debby and daughter, Robin visited her weekly helping with laundry and personal care with the same love and support she gave as their mother.

Mary was preceded in death by her father, John; mother, Helen; brother, Peter and her son, Randy.

Mary's funeral and Celebration of Life will be held at Chapel Hill Mortuary and Cemetery, 6601 Colorado Blvd., Littleton, Colorado 80121 on Tuesday December 12, 2023 at 1:30 PM.