August Valenti

Beloved husband of the late Catherine (Kay) Bono. Loving father of Sam (June), Tom (Marge), Margaret Sass (Jim), Marty and Ann. Adoring grandfather of Kris Franco (Ron), Mario Valenti, Stephanie Pollner (Jake), Erik Sass (Emily) and Tom Valenti as well as 9 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.

Cherished Uncle to many.

Gus, a veteran of WWII, served in the Army in India. Gus met Kay on the steps of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Melrose Park, IL after Kay prayed to meet a nice Italian man on the steps of the church. They were married on October 9, 1948 after Kay prayed for Gus to bring two dozen red roses as proof he was the man for her. They lived in Chicago and then Harwood Heights where they raised their 5 children. In 1995 they moved to Sun City, AZ.

Throughout his life, Gus enjoyed playing pinochle, dancing with Kay, gardening and singing. His favorite songs were Che La Luna and You are my Sunshine. Gus, a life long (suffering) Cub fan was elated to see the Cubs win the World Series in 2016.

"The souls of the just are in the hands of God"

In lieu of flowers it is asked that donations be made to the American Cancer Society.

August Valenti Eulogy May 21, 2020

• Our father, August Valenti, what can we say! Anyone who knew Gus knew that he loved life. He was a happy man, loved his wife and family, loved to dance with mom, loved to play Pinochle and he was a singer!

• His favorite songs were Che La Luna (Lazy Mary) and You are my Sunshine! He sang many others, but at the end those were the ones he sang most.

• Dad had a strong Christian faith, he was devoted to his wife, always supported his children and imprinted his values on his all of our lives lives.

• Dad was a hard worker and many of his friends referred to him as the Jack of all Trades and master of none! He was willing to help anyone who asked and received help from them in return.

• He loved to dance and could be found almost any Saturday cutting the rug with mom, his sister Josie and friends Floyd and Evelyn at the local Moose Lodge.

• Dad always encouraged us to get a good education. He was proud that his children were better educated than him. Although a good education was important to dad, he didn’t need a college degree to have a wonderful life.

• Dad loved family gatherings and particularly holiday parties. He loved to travel and particularly liked cruising.

• Meals around the dinner table always involved conversation about our days and lives. However, frequently our parents would transition into the Italian and when that happened we knew something bad was being discussed!

• His favorite foods were mom’s fried chicken, homemade pizza, Italian stuffed shells, meatballs, manicotti and cannoli!

• He worked almost every Sunday. When he came home, he would always bring four pints of our favorite ice cream. We would gather around the table in eager anticipation of his arrival and talk about what was going on in our lives and plans for the coming week. His evening would end watching Laurence Welk and Bonanza.

• Margaret and dad had a particularly strong bond. Dad would discipline her when she got out of line! Margaret got even one day by throwing his razor strap out in the garbage. Years later she would confess to him and bought him a new razor strap as a piece offering for the offense! And oh yes, all of the other kids faced dad’s punishment for various offenses.

• Dad loved to garden and neighbors would admire the size and flavor of his corn, tomatoes, green beans, gagootz (Italian zucchini), figs, mellons, and garlic!

• Dad loved sports. His favorites were the Chicago Cubs and Bears! His life-long dream was realized when in 2016 the Cubs finally won the world series. After moving to Sun City he adopted the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cardinals. Mom often complained that she was a sports widow.

• Dad and mom were inseparable! He missed her so much that he would often wished for them to be reunited. He was often heard to pray that he was ready and asked God to take him anytime. He was the last of his generation to pass. Everyone passed before him (brothers, sisters, in-laws and their spouses). Now it’s up to us, as the old generation to set an example for our children. And the bar has been set really high!

• Dad loved and was loved by his caregivers and fellow residents at the Elite Assisted Living home on Via Montoya Drive in Peoria Arizona. He also loved his caregivers from Traditions Healthcare; particularly Jennifer his nurse, Troy his chaplain and Joyce his social worker.

• We know that dad is in a better place. We pray for dad to continue to look in on us from time to time and wish for his thoughts to give us guidance.