Obituaries

George R Valliere, Jr.

February 13, 1940 - October 22, 2019

Burial Date October 27, 2019

EAST LYME – George R. Valliere, Jr., 79, passed away on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 due to complications related to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease. A native of New London, he was the son of the late George and Judith (Cortucci) Valliere and was raised in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood, where he acquired his lifelong love of baseball, Italian cooking and furniture making from his grandfather, Albert Cortucci, a noted contractor and businessman in the region. George was a 1959 graduate of New London High School and attended Mitchell College. He was a thirty plus year employee of Electric Boat, retiring in 1995 as a contract analyst. Upon leaving the company, he rekindled his passion for woodworking, making rocking horses and toy boxes for his grandkids, furniture for friends and family, and gifts large and small for special occasions. George was an avid skier, and as a member of the Thames Ski Club in the 1960’s, he competed in races around New England. Using his woodworking and contracting skills, he and his friends built a ski lodge in North Conway, NH, which was the centerpiece of his athletic life. He was a lifelong member of the Italian Dramatic Club in New London, founded by his grandfather and others, and was active in local fundraisers, community events, and political gatherings. He is survived by the love of his life of forty-nine years, Kathleen (Gagnon) Valliere, his two sons and their spouses, Jeff Valliere and Sarah Burton of Washington, DC, Dave and Marci Valliere of Melrose, MA, and his grandkids, Nolan, Evan and Hannah. His cousin, Louis San Juan, was both his best friend and closest companion, and was an integral part of caring for George as Parkinson’s disease deteriorated his memory and movement. Louis’ wife, Margaret, would also ensure the George and Kathy were well fed, and well taken care of during the last several years of George’s life. His other family members, his sister, Judith Graves of Oakdale, and his nephew and his wife, Glenn and Deniese Graves, remember him as a loving and caring brother and uncle who would always go out of his way to help anyone who needed it. A Celebration of George’s life will be Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 3 pm at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Avenue, New London with an opportunity to greet the family from 1-3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations in George’s name be made to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Unit 6.2, c/o Development Office, 365 Montauk Ave, New London, CT 06320 or the the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.