Shirley Maye Vallina

Shirley Maye (Coffey) Vallina

November 14, 1929 – April 13, 2025

Shirley Maye Vallina, 95, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday April 13, 2025 at her home in Langeloth, PA. She was predeceased by her husband Johnny Vallina in 1999.

Shirley is survived by six children, 13 grandchildren and six great grandchildren: Her sons, Jon L.and Ruth Ann (O’Shanka) Vallina, Kent and Lisa (Stickley) Vallina, David W. and Mary Jo(Cunningham) Vallina also of Langeloth; Her daughters, Kathryn and Henry Gorham of EmeraldIsle, NC, Cynthia A. Vallina and James R. Hostetter of Vienna, VA, and Amy J. and Scott Buchtel,of Cambridge, OH. Her grandchildren: Scott A. and Katie (Visnick) Vallina, their children, Nicholas and Anna, Brandon J. Vallina; Brittani M. Vallina and her son Beau, Bryan P. Vallina and Kristen Cornell and their daughter Brynn; David M. and Amanda L. Vallina; Alex J. (and fiancé Caroline Roberts), Claire V., and John R. (Jack), Vallina Hostetter; Zachary Leonberg, Brianna (Leonberg) Stiffler, her daughter Sophie and son Milo, and Mason and Emma Buchtel. She was Aunt Shirley to 15 nieces and nephews.

Shirley grew up in Avella, PA which she loved. She was always busy planning Avella High School Class Reunions for 60+ years. Shirley was the last living daughter of Maye Kathryn (Wentzel) and Willis Dixon Coffey and sisters Dorothy Jane, Lois Ann, Merry Lou, Marla Lee, and Wilda Kaye Coffey of Avella and Washington, PA. In her teens she loved going to Youngwood, PA to watch them build the Pennsylvania turnpike and work at her grandmother Anna Wentzel’s restaurant.

In 1950, Shirley married Johnny Vallina and had six children over the next 17 years. Shirley started a knitting circle in 1950 and could be seen with needles in her hands in “idle” moments. Though idle times were scarce, she made sweaters, socks, and scarves a plenty. Her signature pieces were baby sweaters, hats and booties (with fury angora kitties and lambs or cowboyfringe sweaters), baby blankets, and doll clothes. These became treasured heirlooms and were handed down generation to generation.

In 1960, she and Johnny bought and ran Vallina's Market for 40 years. Her business career continued as she started a home clothing boutique in the 1970’s, sold Home Interior home décor products in the 1990’s, and into her 80’s, she became American Gram, sewing and knitting heirloom doll clothes which she sold at local craft fairs. Each summer, she would host “Camp Shirley” for her grandkids where they would spend a week with Gram having tea parties, parades and dress up, going to Kennywood, and touring the Pittsburgh area.

Shirley loved shopping and collecting. Her collections include hummels, Spanish Lladros, handcut glass, and a Dickens Village Collection that fills more than 5 display cases in her home.

At Christmas, after weeks of shopping, she could be found baking buns, cookies, pies and her signature nut rolls and cinnamon rolls, preparing for her family to come home to spend the holidays together, as they have for a lifetime. She taught them how to celebrate life—especially at Christmas—and they do so, because of her.

Family and friends will be received from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday April 17, 2025 in Slater Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. of Burgettstown, where services officiated by the Rev. Dr. Toni Harrington will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday April 18, 2025. She will be laid to rest in the Mt. Prospect Cemetery, Hickory.

Those wishing to remember Mrs. Vallina in a special way can make a memorial donation in her memory to either the Langeloth Community Center, PO Box 174, Langeloth, PA 15054 or the A.D. White Research Society, PO Box 562, Avella, PA 15312