Valentina Pezzini-Liptak

Valentina Pezzini-Liptak passed away peacefully at her home after a five-year struggle with vascular dementia.

She was born in Gilroy and was the eldest of three sisters (Valentina, Rita, and Agnes). She lived her whole life in the Monterey Bay area, first Carmel and Castroville, and finally Watsonville. Her immigrant parents were artichoke growers in Carmel and Castroville.

At 18, Valentina graduated, with the highest honors, from Moreland Notre Dame Academy in Watsonville. She was offered a scholarship to Belmont College, and she chose work to help her family. She went to work for Bank of America, her first and only employment as she worked there for almost 40 years. She retired as a loan officer to many of the automotive dealerships in the Monterey Bay area. She retired early to help her elderly parents. This desire to help her family, friends, and fellow workers, would be a wonderful lifelong quality and was fundamental to her soul.

A devout Catholic, she loved Jesus, His mother Mary, and the Catholic Church. Valentina and her whole family were dedicated to assisting Salesians of Don Bosco in Aptos, St. Francis School, and Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church, both in Watsonville. Valentina loved to travel to Italy, France, Germany, and Austria, with her closest Italian friends, the Larice family, and her closest German friends, the Kurtz family.

Valentina is survived by her husband William Liptak, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A viewing and rosary will be held at 10am and funeral mass will begin at 10:30am, all events will take place at Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Watsonville on Friday, April 28th.

Mehl's Colonial Chapel has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Published in The Pajaronian · April 27, 2023