Valo E. Della Valle

Valo E. Della Valle, 85, of South Weymouth died peacefully on April 25 in Kindred Hospital in Las Vegas following an evening of singing Dean Martin and Louis Prima songs with his family.

He wasn’t famous but he was a great man. Val, or Rocco, or just Rock, as most called him, was indeed as solid as a rock, a man without guile. To support his family, he worked two jobs most of his life. He loved and was loved by his wife of 62 years, Margaret “Peggy” Dalton Della Valle, who died in 2011, his sons and daughter, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.      

He was born in a three-decker on Holmes Street in North Quincy on Aug. 19, 1928, son of Italian immigrants Rocco and Teresa (DiBartolomeo) Della Valle. Both parents and his two older sisters, Terry and Vangie, predeceased him, as did his first born son Michael, a crib death, and sons Danny and Billy, who died days after they were born.

Valo began working at 14, cutting meat in a supermarket in the Norfolk Downs section of North Quincy. Although he would later become an executive at John Hancock Life Insurance Co. in Boston, he never lost his love of physical labor or his great skill and during his working life always had a second job as a meat cutter at First National Supermarkets throughout the Boston area.

Valo graduated from North Quincy High School in 1946. He enlisted in the United States Army and served in post-World War II Okinawa. Upon his return from the service he began dating Peggy Dalton, a pretty Holmes Street neighbor he frequently said he “had his eye on” since grade school. They married on June 5, 1949. Valo played drums and both he and Peg loved big band music. For the next six decades they were invariably the smoothest couple on any dance floor they stepped onto. While already working full time, Valo graduated from Boston University’s School of Communications, attending there on the GI Bill.

In 1959, the Della Valles bought a big old house on Union Street at the corner of Stella Tirrell Park in South Weymouth, which Valo proceeded to remodel room by room. He became a founding member of the St. Francis Xavier Knights of Columbus and Peggy became a founding member of its Ladies Sodality. Valo was a superb cook and would often be in charge of the kitchen at the Knights’ functions. He also discovered a passion for golf and joined South Shore Country Club where he played many rounds with good friends. His motto, which he shared often with his children, was “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” 

He retired from John Hancock in 1987 but continued to cut meat and to work at other part time jobs. Nine years later, Val and Peggy sold the big house in South Weymouth and bought a condo in Naples, Florida, and a trailer near the beach in Dennis. They also travelled extensively, including trips to Canada, Jamaica, Alaska, Ireland, and Italy. After Peggy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009, the Della Valles moved to Las Vegas to be close to the sons and daughter who live there.

Valo leaves four sons, Edmund Della Valle and his wife Beverly of Pembroke; Paul Della Valle and his wife Karen of Sterling; Tom Della Valle of Las Vegas; Jack Della Valle and his wife Annel of Las Vegas; a daughter, Christine Mecham and her husband Doug of Las Vegas; 14 grandchildren, two great grandchildren; cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends.

Calling hours for Valo and Peg will be held at McDonald Funeral Home, 809 Main Street, South Weymouth, from 4 to 8 p.m. on May 13. Wednesday May 14th relatives and friends will gather in the funeral home at 9:00 AM for a Celebration of Life service before Valo and Peg will be interred together at Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy at 10:00 AM.