Obituary of Mary Virginia Valentine

Virginia Valentine December 27, 1917- February 1, 2013 (Mary) Virginia Mayer Valentine, 95, of Abington, CT passed away on February 1, 2013. Born in Brooklyn, NY on December 27, 1917, Virginia Valentine attended Brooklyn Friends School and Swarthmore College. Virginia actively participated in her husband Bruce Valentine's medical practice, serving for over fifty-five years as Secretary to the Board of Directors for the Eliza F. Clark Memorial Center in Abington. She also served as an "unpaid professional" for the Center as bookkeeper, receptionist, technician or whatever was needed. She was a member of Day Kimball Hospital Women's Auxiliary, a Cub Scout Den Mother, and 4H Club Leader. She helped establish the Library at Pomfret Community School, serving as Chairman and a Board Member while volunteering on a regular basis. Virginia also served on the Pomfret Board of Education for fourteen years, seven as chairperson. She was an active member for many years of the Abington Congregational Church Women's Guild and spent countless hours volunteering her time and energy for the Abington Social Library. Mrs. Valentine is predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Dr. Bruce Valentine. She is survived by her son Robert Valentine and his wife Althea of Warren, PA; her daughter Mary Feathers and her husband Kenneth of Storrs, CT; her grandchildren Eric Valentine and his wife Shari Tarlton of Lively, Ontario, Canada; Kira Valentine and her husband Tommy Ender of Fuquay-Varina, NC; Andrew Feathers and his wife Brigette of Silver Spring, MD; and Stephen Feathers of Storrs, CT; and her great-grandchildren Zoë Ender, Cailean Valentine, Zane Ender, and Rhys Valentine. Dr. and Mrs. Valentine established the "Books for Babies" program at Day Kimball Hospital in 1999, a program which provides every baby born at the hospital with a book to take home and start a life of reading. To date, their program has donated over 11,000 books in the name of the Abington Social Library. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Abington Social Library or the Connecticut Audubon Center at Pomfret. A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 3:00 pm at the Abington Congregational Church, 659 Hampton Road, Abington, followed by a reception at the We-Li-Kit Pancake House, Abington. Arrangements by Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam, CT. Interment will be private. To share a memory with her family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com