Valerie Principi, born on September 17, 1961, passed away on August 1, 2024, at 62 years old. She was brave, hopeful and funny up to the very end.

She was born in Yonkers, N.Y., and grew up in Mt Vernon, N.Y. She was loved and cherished by her deceased parents Nikki and Louis Georgaras.

She is survived by her husband Mark Principi and by her brother George Georgaras, and nephew Darius Georgaras.

Valerie had a loving, fulfilling and eventful childhood from spending summers in Greece at Papous’ and Yiayias’ summer house with her cousins on her mom’s side. Eating Souvlaki from the stand at the beach. Going to outdoor movies in Kamena Vourla or playing in the camp across the street. Celebrating Christmas at Aunt Carol’s (who made sure we knew that she was our favorite aunt), singing carols with the whole family or Easter out at Aunt Judy’s in Southhold Long Island playing Uncle Teddy’s crazy games. Family and family gatherings were an important part of her childhood.

Valerie loved dancing, music and the arts in general. She and her mom would go to Broadway plays and to Radio City for the Christmas special annually. Christmas became very special in Valerie’s life. She loved the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Hers was certainly wonderful. Her first big event in life was going away to Ithaca College in 1979. Her mother basically cried the whole trip back home.

She graduated in 1983, and the next move was in 1985, with the family to Stamford. In 1987, Valerie met the love of her life, her true companion on the journey, Mark Principi. They were married in 1989. They moved for Mark’s work from Connecticut to Shrewsbury, Mass., then to Waltham, Mass., on to Corning, N.Y., and finally back to Connecticut, eventually settling in Newtown. Throughout those years she worked at a variety of jobs including modeling and working in various business environments.

Her most satisfying and impactful work was private tutoring and working at the Kumon Center teaching children. She also started her own private interior design business. She used her brilliant sense of color, texture, and design in creating a beautiful, inviting, peaceful and harmonious home environment, which was generously shared with family and friends for many occasions for many years. She especially loved to create a sense of awe and wonder in their home for the holidays.

Warm, generous and loving ... a place of true Christmas Spirit. Valerie was extremely community-minded and supported numerous organizations including local hospitals, C.H. Booth Library in Newtown and various financial institutions. She was a longtime board member for Newtown Scholarship Association.

Valerie filled her life to the brim with family, friends, dogs, travel, design, mentoring, volunteering all with a unique and strong presence of encouragement, clarity, an abundance of ideas, curiosity, humor, loyalty, trustworthiness, creativity and transformational energy. Two of her friends sent to Mark a tribute for her. He and George feel it captures Valerie perfectly: “Valerie was a pure vessel of love. Along with her bright sunshine spirit, her wicked sense of humor, her deep compassion for all living creatures, most of all we treasured her big magnanimous heart. A great soul has left us, and we are left now to treasure every precious memory she gave us.”

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in Valerie’s name to Dreams Come True of Western CT (DCTCT.org) or The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Danbury.

A Mass of Remembrance will be held at The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church, 30 Clapboard Ridge Road in Danbury (203-748-2992) at 11 am Saturday, October 5, followed by a celebration of life at the Amber Room, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury (203-748-3800) at noon. If anyone has any pictures, kind words, music, etc, that they would want to share in this tribute please email beth.oriordan17@gmail.com. Names will be withheld upon request.