When Fred Rogers said to "look for the helpers" during hard times, he meant people like Valerie Marchini.

Valerie Regina Marchini, age 68, of Hyde Park, New York, passed away on June 9, 2026, after a brief illness and a lifetime of helping.

She was a nurse for forty years, working in the pediatric, obstetrics and postpartum wards before moving to school nursing and private practice. As a substitute school nurse, she was once told that she had to stop being so nice and start sending kids back to class, because she was getting too many visitors.

As a published children's magazine writer, her work was often full of humor, and she was working on middle grade novels for children who were navigating difficult relationships or circumstances. She helped numerous writers pursue their dreams of publication by volunteering with the local chapter of the SCBWI and as a co-founding member of the Children's Writers of the Hudson Valley.

Her greatest joy was her family, especially her children and grandchildren. She was an active mom and Nanna, volunteering as a Girl Scout Leader, Boy Scout popcorn coordinator, and field trip chaperone. She was like a second mom to many of her children's friends.

Some of her children's fondest memories include rocking out to Billy Idol and Queen; game and puzzle nights that went long into the night and usually included a good natured "I'm just happy to be here!" from Valerie during a wrong answer or bad play; and her inability to do the electric slide without stepping on whoever was standing next to her multiple times. Still, she kept dancing. She was the first on and usually the last off the dance floor.

Her grandchildren loved to run around outside with her, especially in the summer where water balloons were usually involved. She played dolls with her granddaughter, kept stacks of her grandchildren's artwork including her oldest grandson's comic books, and tried her best to remember all the character names from Cars for her younger grandsons. In her illness, she was motivated to fight for her grandchildren.

Her quiet strength, capacity to love, and warm, easy laugh will be deeply missed by her husband of 48 years, Timothy Richard Marchini of Hyde Park, NY; two sisters, Brenda (Jerry Knapper) Cabarcas and Diane (Michael) Majewski; her children Tracy (Tim) Veilleux, Brian (Jamie) Marchini and Danielle (Nick) Pinto; five beloved grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

In addition to her parents, the late Robert and Frances (Kasmerck) Weber; she is preceded in death by her three brothers, Lawrence, Kevin and Greg Weber; sister, Doreen Gorniak; brother-in-law, Paul Gorniak and nephew Joel Gorniak.

Friends and family may call at Sweet's Funeral Home in Hyde Park, NY on Sunday, June 14th from 1:00 pm to

3:30 pm.  Funeral services will begin promptly at 3:30 pm.

Memorials may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society.