Obituary of Frank A. Valente

Frank A. Valente, a lifelong resident of Darien, CT, passed away on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at Stamford Hospital. Born November 10, 1924 in Darien, CT, he was the son of the late Anthony and Lucy (Conte) Valente. He was 87. Frank entered the United States Army in July 1943 and landed June 6th on Normandy Beach. He loved to share his war stories with his children and grandchildren of how he was a recipient of 2 Purple Hearts and was awarded several distinguished service medals. Frank was a long time postal worker for the Town of Darien, retiring in 1990. Frank was involved in several businesses - he was owner of Darien Shell Gas Station and was a Partner of Chevron in Darien. Frank was a Darien special police officer for 30 years. He worked at St. Thomas More in Darien from 1990-2001 and also spent a great deal of time working at Springdale Florist. In his leisure time, Frank was an avid gardener and enjoyed playing golf and bowling. Frank was tirelessly involved with the Piedmont Associates, Springdale Athletic Association, Knights of Columbus, VFWDarien, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Association of the Purple Heart, and the Darien Old Timers. Frank is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years Josephine, his son Jim and wife Cindy of Shelton, CT; his son John and wife Dawn of St. Louis Park, MN; his daughter Joanne and husband Mario of Stamford, CT; his son Jeff and wife Eilish of Darien, CT and his daughter Janice and husband Steven of Derby, CT. He is also survived by his eight loving grandchildren Kristen, Reg, Frank, Allison, Lauren, Kellie, T.J., and Faith. The family will receive friends at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien on Sunday, October 21 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, October 22 at St. Thomas More Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT at 11:00 AM. Interment will immediately follow at St. John's Cemetery, Darien, CT. Memorial donations may be made to the National Veterans Service Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 2465, Darien, CT 06820 or the American Heart Association, Connecticut Affiliate, Inc., 5 Brookside Drive, P. O. Box 5022, Wallingford, CT 06492. www.lawrencefuneralhome.com Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820