Obituary of Katheryn Valentino

Katheryn M. "Kay" Valentino entered into final rest with her loving family by her side on Sunday April 1, 2018 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. In passing, she will be reunited in heaven with her beloved husband Vincent, who predeceased her in 2011, and her father Vincent Bisulk in 1965, and her mother Florence Bisulk in 1995. Kay was born on May 5, 1929 in the Bronx, NY, the only child of Vincent P. Bisulk and Providenza "Florence" DeMarco Bisulk. Kay and her parents moved from the Bronx to Wappingers Falls in 1935. Kay married the love of her life, Vincent R. Valentino, on July 16, 1949 at St. Mary's Church in Wappingers Falls. Kay attended the one room schoolhouse that was located on All Angels Hill Road in the Town of Wappinger, and then moved to the newly opened K-12 Wappingers Central School on Remsen Avenue in 1940 as a seventh grader, where she graduated in 1946. Besides getting married in 1949, Kay, along with her parents, became involved with the newly formed New Hackensack Fire Company, of which she was a Charter and Life member of the New Hackensack Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary. Kay was also very active with the Mothers' Guild at St. Mary's School in Wappingers Falls. At that time the school's teachers were almost all Sisters of Charity, and for many years, every Wednesday, Kay would make homemade sauce, meatballs, sausage, and spaghetti dinner for the Sisters. Kay enjoyed vacationing with family and friends at Wellfleet on Cape Cod, going to flea markets, and hosting and cooking for her family and friends at home. Sunday nights were pizza nights and Kay would make her own pizza dough and enough pizzas for 15 to 20 people. Summer time was time for family barbeques and pool parties. Family gatherings and having loved ones around meant a lot to Kay. Kay was unfaltering and passionate in caring for her parents. She was a devoted and faithful wife to her husband and a loving, understanding, and responsible mother to her three children. Kay was like a mama bear is to her cubs… don't even think of messing with them or you would feel her full wrath upon you. Above all, Kay was a devout Catholic in her unending faith in God and the teachings of the Church. In 1963, Kay decided to join the workforce to help support her family and started working for the Wappingers Central School District in the cafeteria at the newly opened Roy C. Ketcham High School. Kay worked her way up at RCK from dishwasher, to cashier, to the Assistant Head Chef. From RCK, Kay moved to Myers Corners Elementary School as the Head Chef there. Kay then changed career paths, and became a bus driver for Wappingers, where for many years she transported special needs students, and then moved up to driving the full size Bluebird buses for a number of years. Kay became a Senior Supervisor for the Transportation Department, and was also the CSEA Union President for the bus drivers and teachers for a number of years. Kay retired from WCSD in 1996, but did not stay retired for long. She started teaching religious education at St. Mary's Catholic School in Wappingers Falls, and also took a part time job back with WCSD as a substitute teacher's assistant for a number of years. Kay also was a member of the Ladies of the Elks BPOE 2609. Kay is survived by her children, Vincent J. Valentino, Deborah Brengel and her husband Robert, and Michael G. Valentino and his wife Brenda. She is also survived by her grandchildren Kim Centorani, Deana Kortlang, Jessica Valentino, Kara Bucher, and Michael G. Valentino, Jr., great-grandchildren Steven and Joseph Thomas, Alexis Centorani, Paul Kortlang, Jr., Jovani Arango, Jaxon Valentino, Sophia and Paul Bucher III. Family will receive their friends on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 E. Main Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, 11 Clinton Street in Wappingers Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Kay's name to Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011 or the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2600 Network Blvd, Suite 300, Frisco, TX 75034. For directions or to send a personal condolence, please visit our website at www.StraubCatalanoHalvey.com.