Aurora Valentinetti

Aurora Stella Valentinetti, known to her family as Zizi LaLa, passed away on July 22, 2022, in Wenatchee, WA. Just days after celebrating her 101st birthday, Zizi had a fall, fracturing her hip. Our Dear Lord called her home to reunite with so many dear family and friends who had gone before her. She is back with her beloved parents, her brother Raymond, and her two sisters, Delia and Dora, reuniting the "Dolly Sisters" once again. If someone wrote a biography about Aurora, it could be called It's a Wonderful Life (if that title wasn't already taken). She was a skilled stage performer and the university puppetry professor from the early forties to her retirement in 1992. She performed at the Showboat Theater, St. Mark's Cathedral, and at Bumbershoot, to name just a few. She even had her own "Puppet Playhouse" on KCTS-TV, Channel 9. She was born in West Seattle to parents who immigrated from Italy, two years before she was born. She graduated from West Seattle High School and then started an association with the University of Washington that lasted over 50 years. The association first started with her as a student at the UW. Through her career, Aurora was able to successfully work in four separate, yet closely related, fields as a professional singer, puppeteer, director of community theaters and their allied activities, and professor of speech, children's theater and puppetry at the University of Washington. Her legacy as an educator was acknowledged when she was the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award which recognizes UW teachers who inspired and influenced their students both in and out of the classroom. Her puppeteering legacy continues, where much of her collection of puppets are on display at the Aurora Valentinetti Puppet Museum in Bremerton, WA. Valentinetti lived her life boldly and creatively, bending it to suit her personal needs. Whether she was scaring college football players, who took her class mistakenly thinking it would be an easy A, or captivating thousands of children and adults who watched her perform, Aurora touched an enormous number of lives and was someone that people who met her could never forget. Zizi is survived by her nieces and nephews, Joanne (Rex) Bratton, Catie (Lance) Larsen, Karen (Dan) Treichel,, David (Kristi) DuPuy, Gary (Astrid) DuPuy, Steve Valentinetti and many great nieces and nephews. To continue the celebration of Aurora's life, please visit www.chapelofthevalleyncw.com and search for Valentinetti under services. In lieu flowers, the family requests that you make donations to either: The Maple Lodge, 1738 Maple Street, Wenatchee, WA 98802 (The Maple Lodge is a nonprofit organization and provided excellent care for Aurora over the last two years). St Joseph's Catholic School, 625 S Elliott Avenue, Wenatchee, WA 98802 (St Joseph had some amazing women who have been visiting Aurora since she arrived in Wenatchee). A funeral mass will be held at St Joseph's Catholic Church on September 7, 2022 at 1:00 PM. The service will be streamed either on the St Joseph's website - http://www.stjosephwen.org/recorded-special-masses or on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/joseph.church.148/ Arrangements entrusted to Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.

Aurora Valentinetti

July 14, 1921 - July 22, 2022