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Valeria E. Mattis

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | October 14, 2022

Valeria E. (Miklos) Mattis, affectionately known to many as “Mother Val,” died on Thursday, October 13, 2022, at Jefferson Hospital, surrounded by her children, at the age of 83. Born in Duquesne, PA on April 2, 1939, she was the youngest of twelve children to Andrew and Helen (Kushnir) Miklos. She married the late Michael T. Mattis on August 29, 1964. She is survived by son Michael (Amy) of White Oak, daughter Monica, with whom she resided, of McKeesport, son William (Tina) of West Mifflin and son Christopher (Paul-James Cukanna) of Churchill; grandsons Michael (Kayla), Ryan, Nicholas, and Jonathan; great grandson Michael John; sister Charlotte (Donald) Nasta of Levittown, PA; in-laws Joseph and Barbara Mattis of Finleyville, PA; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Theresa Mattis (August, 2022), her husband and parents, her parents-in-law Michael and Anna (Hlad) Mattis, and siblings, Helen Miklos, Elizabeth Miklos, Margaret Miklos, Alexander Miklos, Andrew “Timmy” Miklos, Bernard Miklos, Virginia Miklos, Gertrude Motel, Rosalia Miklos and Philomena Demeter.

A 1957 graduate of Duquesne High School, Valeria worked as a Tele-Typist at Fisher Scientific and later as an Administrative Assistant in the Housing Office at Carnegie Mellon University.

Mother Val was a strong woman with tremendous faith and perseverance. She embraced the challenges and responsibilities of raising her five children herself following the death of her beloved husband Mike, who died suddenly in 1983. She loved her family, her friends, her Catholic religion and playing board games with her family. She enjoyed having fun, laughing and joking around with those she loved. She was highly proficient at Scrabble. She kept up to date on current, worldly events. She also enjoyed playing games of chance on her iPad, and especially “taking rides” to various casinos.

She was a strong woman who never complained and made the best of challenging circumstances throughout her life. Family was an important priority in her life that she taught her children in values and traditions, especially her favorite holiday, Christmas. She enjoyed decorating, baking, cooking and sharing the traditional Christmas Eve Slovak Vilija supper. She reinforced these values by reminding all of us of the importance of always saying the following three words, “I Love You.”

Friends will be received on Monday, October 17, 2022 and Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 2-8 p.m., at the MALOY-SCHLEIFER FUNERAL HOME, INC., 915 KENNEDY AVE., DUQUESNE, PA 15110, 412-466-3300, WILLIAM B. SCHLEIFER, SUPERVISOR, WILLIAM BRIAN SCHLEIFER, FUNERAL DIRECTOR. A blessing service will take place at the Funeral Home at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in Mary Mother of God Parish at the St. Mary Częstochowa (Corpus Christi) worship site, 2515 Versailles Ave., McKeesport, PA, 15132, with her Godson, Rev. Thomas A. Nasta, as celebrant. Interment will follow in Holy Trinity Cemetery, West Mifflin.

Originally published October 14, 2022.

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