April 12, 2022 at 6:45 p.m.
CENTURY OF LIFE
CENTURY OF LIFE
A lot has happened in the last 100 years, and Lawrence Valetutto has seen it all.
A parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Cherry Valley, Valetutto, better known as “Larry,” celebrated a milestone birthday on March 18, when he turned 100 years old.
“It was very good,” Valetutto said of the big day. Humble about his achievement, Valetutto was simply happy to share the day with his family, many of whom came out for the occasion. Father to five children, and grandfather to 17 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, many of the Valetutto clan made their way to the Elks Lodge in Cobleskill for a birthday parade organized by American Legion Post 1269.
A proud World War II veteran, Valetutto sported his army jacket and medals from his service as he saluted each passing car from the front steps of the lodge. Friends and fellow veterans drove by, waving flags and their hands to Valetutto and his family. The Cobleskill Fire Department drove through with a giant American flag on display in Valetutto’s honor, and Sharon Springs City Supervisor Sandra Manko presented Valetutto with a proclamation declaring March 18, “Larry Valetutto Day.”
Born in 1922 on Staten Island, Valetutto was raised by Italian immigrant parents in New Jersey. Valetutto recalls great memories with his family; his mother would feed anyone who visited their home, and his father stomped grapes in their backyard to make homemade wine.
His family’s strong bond to the Catholic faith was also something that shaped Valetutto. This year, Valetutto wanted to express how much God and God’s love meant to him and with the help of his daughter, self-published a book, titled “God Is Love.”
“It’s my expression that God is love, and whoever lives in love lives in union with God and God lives in union with him,” he said. Originally, Valetutto wanted to write on health and medicine, a fond hobby of his, but after some consideration, thought, “God comes first,” he laughed.
God helped Valetutto through many periods of his life, including his service. When World War II broke out, Valetutto, then 20, volunteered to sign up in 1942. He served as a technician in the 25th Signal Company and later under General Douglas MacArthur in the Tropical Lightning Division. Valetutto got his first taste of war when he departed from San Francisco and landed on Angel Island just off the coast of California. His crew boarded a ship headed for the Philippines and recalls the boat moving in a zig-zag formation to avoid possible contact with Japanese submarines.
Valetutto worked on the ground of the Pacific Theater where he sent messages directly to the front lines, warning the soldiers of where enemy planes were located. There would be a few times when Valetutto would be pinned down by gunfire, but looking back, Valetutto doesn’t recall being afraid.
“You don’t (have) time to be afraid, you got to move,” he said. “It’s your life in jeopardy, but here I am. I was very fortunate.”
When the war was over, Valetutto spent some time in Japan as part of the occupation Army. Valetutto sought out a local Japanese Catholic Church where he bonded with the Japanese people. Even after a divisive war, everyone treated each other “like brothers and sisters in Christ,” he said.
Valetutto also spent some time with the local archbishop. “We didn’t have access to anything to drink, but with him, he brought out the altar wine!” he laughed. “It was an expression of brotherly love.”
Back in the states, Valetutto and his wife, Laura Claire Mosko, raised their five children in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., where he worked for the Reading Railroad. In his free time, he enjoyed taking night classes at Rutgers University, particularly courses on memory.
He always found time for volunteering at church, from being an usher to working at Friday night bingo. One church fundraiser was especially close to Valetutto’s heart when he and his wife cooked and sold Italian food at the parish’s yearly festival.
It was hard on the whole family when Claire passed away at only 45, but his love for her still carries to this day. In his late ‘50s, Valetutto relocated to Sharon Springs, where he has lived since.
Reflecting on his time, Valetutto sums up his life advice for future generations with two key points: do what is right, and do it with love.
“Whatever it is, and whatever you do, do what’s right,” he said. “Always think of your fellow man and protect your fellow man with grace and respectability and love; never think completely about yourself. Always think in your mind and heart of love for others, man or women. It’s all with love.”
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