Valerie K. Cardona of Southold died at home on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2014 after a long term illness. She was 75 years old.
She was born on December 23, 1938 in Passaic, New Jersey to Peter and Jane (nee Zdankowski) Kovalcik and on December 29, 1963, she married Charles Cardona, Jr. in Huntington, New York.
She received her B.S. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY and did her graduate work at Hofstra University and C.W. Post.
She had been a church organist at the Cutchogue Presbyterian Church, Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church and others. She was also a public school music teacher and substitute teacher at Shelter Island, Southold and Patchogue Schools.
Val was also active in programs for the handicapped and appeared at local and state level hearings. As a result, she initiated several local and state funded programs for the handicapped and their job training.
She was a member of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, American Guild of Organists and was a communicant of Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church
For twenty years, she lived in Medford and Amityville before moving to the North Fork forty years ago.
Surviving are her husband Charles Cardona, Jr.; four sons: Charles Cardona III of Calverton, Peter Cardona of Hollywood, Maryland, John Cardona of Aquebogue and Michael Cardona of Southold; a sister Laura Howard of Saugerties, NY and six grandchildren: Christopher, Nicholas, Matthew, Danielle, Cordell and Catlin.
The family received on Wednesday, May 14th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, May 15 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Interment at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery.
