Leanne (Mangan) Valengavich

For God so needed another angel, that he called home his handmaiden.  Leanne Marie (Mangan) Valengavich died at nine a.m. on August 17, 2018.  She died in peace surrounded by her family in hospice care at the Hospital of Central Connecticut at New Britain General.

She was born on July 5,1948 in Waterbury to Edward J and Marie D (Dumond) Mangan.  She grew up in Southington, CT, Phoenix, AZ and New Britain, CT.  She graduated from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in 1966.  It was there that she met her lifelong companion John P Valengavich.  They married in 1970 when he was in the Army and she lived with him in Panama City, Panama.  After the Army they lived in Fort Wayne, IN while he attended college.  After graduation they returned to settle in New Britain where she took a job as telephone operator at Central Connecticut State College where eventually became Chief Operator before she retired in 2003.

She did not stay still in retirement.  She established a sewing and embroidery business, “It’s in the Bag, LLC” through which she provided many gift items and much wearing apparel.

She was an active and involved member of Saint Andrew Church where she was a communicant providing communion to people shut in at the hospital.  She was an active member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and participated in many charitable activities, especially those involving seeking a cure for cancer.  She was a regular blood and platelet donor until poor health forced her to stop.

She enjoyed bowling, camping, and waterfall hunting and road trips with her husband, especially to visit their grandchildren in North Carolina.   

She is survived by her loving husband John, her beloved daughter and son-in-law Amoreena and Michael Cook of Wilmington, NC and their children, Griffin and Brenna.  She also leaves a loving family of three sisters, Kathy Rogalski and Flora-Jean Hapgood, of Phoenix, AZ and Pamela Mangan, her best friend, of Wolcott, CT, as well as 13 nieces and nephews and several grand nieces and nephews. She will be dearly missed. The family would like to thank Dr. Watson and Dr. Byrnes for their excellent care for Leanne, they would also like to thank the Staff at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, New Britain campus, ward C5, for the care they provided for Leanne.

Calling hours are from 4 to 8 PM on Monday, August 20, 2018 at Luddy-Peterson Funeral Home on 205 South Main Street, New Britain.  A funeral mass will be held at 11 AM at Saint Andrew Church in New Britain.  Burial will be at the family’s convenience.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Prudence Crandall: https://prudencecrandall.org/.

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