When through one woman, a little more love and goodness, a little more light and truth, come in to the world, then that women's life, has had meaning.

Rosemary Vallely was that women.  Our mother, our matriarch, has passed away leaving a crater sized hole in the hearts of her family but we take great comfort, even joy, in imagining the legions of souls she has touched in her life, all there to greet her with open arms as she greeted them in this life. The thousands she fed at the soup kitchen, the lonely souls she welcomed into our home, the children and adults she taught about Christianity, the poor she supported, the homeless she advocated for in Chicago...all there to welcome her. The warm, the light, the love... It's all coming back to her now.

Not many people can say that throughout their life, they helped thousands of people.

Rosemary left high school during the depression to work full time and help support her family.

As a young bride, she would go to rummage sales and church sales and buy all the clothes that didn't sell. She'd box them up and she and our father paid to have them shipped to missions throughout the world.

We all remember strangers at our holiday dinners, foreign students who were thousands of miles from home and sailors from Great Lakes Naval Base who couldn't go home for the holidays. Once, an entire nursing home came! Everyone without family to bring them home was brought to our house to celebrated the holiday.  And we all worked our tails off to serve them a beautiful homemade meal.

At one point she worked 6 days a week and on her only day off, started and ran a soup kitchen. She did that for well over a decade.

Rosemary taught  CCD (Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine) to young children at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church, her parish for over 50 years.

She helped adults, new to this country, learn how to speak and read English.

She spent years on the Board of Directors for the Center for Street People.

She has been a magnet for those in need. Whether they hungered spiritually, or physically, for love, companionship, or acceptance, they all found her, and always with open arms.

The ancient Egyptians believed that you had to answer two questions when you died.

The first: Have you found the joy in your life?

Our matriarch has always found joy in giving.

The second: Has your life brought joy to others?

To that we would answer a resounding yes, a thousand times over.

Because of who she was, we, her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are who we are and each of us, in our own way, continues her legacy of altruism.

We are thankful she taught us to live with open arms, to be curious about the world we live in, to respect those different then us, to try new things.  She began painting at 60. And we all cherish the art hanging in our home to remind us always of her gifts.  We learned through her modeling and mentoring to share ourselves and always to be of service to those around us.

She brought joy to the lives of so many and made this world a much better place. We, your family, are so blessed you were in our lives and celebrate that you are now basking in the love of God and all those whose lives you touched.

Rosemary Vallely (Goggin) 92 Died peacefully 10/25/2018 at Resurrection Independent Senior Living Chicago IL surrounded by her children, brothers, and many grandchildren.  Born 10/18/1926 in Lynchburg VA, a longtime resident of the Ravenswood Community & 50+ year member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years Charles Thomas Vallely, parents Joe & Thelma Goggin, Sister Ceil Steiner and Brother John Goggin, and Son James Patrick.

She leaves behind  her children

Mary R. (Gus Wilhelmy)

Kathleen M. (Timothy Seidler)

Thomas A (Kathleen)

Virginia M (Gary Hensel)

18 - Grandchildren

13 – Great Grandchildren

Many adoring Nieces and Nephews

Visitation Nelson Funeral Home, Park Ridge 10/28/18 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Prayers Monday 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home to St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Chicago, for Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 a.m.

Interment All Saints Cemetery, DesPlaines.