Catherine (Valdez) Allen

Catherine (Valdez) Allen, 77, Rockford, passed away peacefully Sunday, September 22, 2019, after a brief illness. Cathy was surrounded by her children, Jonathan and Christine, and her brother and sister, Hilary Valdez and Lucia Minor. Cathy was born on July 7, 1942, in New York, NY, the daughter of Hilario and Genvieve Valdez. . She later moved to San Diego, CA where she met and married Junior Ray Allen in 1960. Cathy moved to Rockford in 1961, and has called Rockford their home since then. She worked almost 30 years for the DMV and she had the “gift of gab” and never met a stranger. She enjoyed theater, cultural events, and traveling with her family. She was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church and she volunteered with Lavoz Latina. She was involved in the United Way minority task force. Cathy served as an election judge for many years and was active in many political and cultural events. If you were lucky enough to know Cathy, you have been blessed.
Survived by her son, Jonathan Allen of Lynn, AR and her daughter, Christine (Michael) Allen-Naughton of Attleboro, MA; her grandchildren, Alex, Ariana, and Kyle Naughton and Christopher Shields; her sisters, Diane Valdez Arenz of San Diego, CA and Lucia Minor of Martinez, CA, and her brother, Hilary (Yoko) Valdez of Tokyo, Japan; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, George and Charlotte Allen; several nieces, nephews, cousins, and God children. Predeceased by her husband, Junior Ray, her parents, Hilario and Genevieve Valdez, her brother-in-law, Charles Minor, and her in laws, Otha and Myrid Allen.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, September 27, 2019, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4401 Highcrest Rd. Rockford, with Father Philip Kaim officiating. Burial in Scandinavian Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, September 26, 2019, at Holy Family Catholic Church and from 9:15 A.M. until 10:15 A.M. on Friday at the church. A luncheon will be served immediately following the service at the church. Donations can be made to Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Rockford or the St. Vincent DePaul Society affiliated with Holy Family Catholic church. Arrangements by Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory. Share online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.