Grace (Valardi) Reidy

Grace V. Reidy, 94, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 24 in Ware, MA. She was born on December 6, 1931 in South Barre, MA, to Margaret (Tomasello) Valardi and John Joseph Valardi. Grace was predeceased in 2014 by the love of her life, John James Reidy, whom she married on July 18, 1953.  They raised their family in the wonderful village of Wheelwright, MA a community they loved and participated in fully with several generations of family and so many special friends. Grace was predeceased by older siblings Mary Murphy of West Roxbury, MA and Joseph Valardi of Wheelwright, MA. She is survived by her five children: Mary Catherine Salo (Steve) of Boynton Beach, FL Rosemary Osann (Rick) of Bar Harbor, ME  Francis Reidy (Deborah) of Land O Lakes, FL  John Reidy (Mary) of Southwest Harbor, ME and Margaret Reidy (Cynthia) of Palmer, MA; six grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Upon graduating from Hardwick High School in 1949 where she was a stand-out academic, star athlete and accomplished musician, Grace was accepted to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She graduated as the salutatorian of her class in the spring of 1953 with a Bachelor of Music Degree.  For ten years while raising her five children, Grace taught elementary through high school music in the towns of Ware, Hardwick, Hubbardston, North Brookfield, and Sterling. In 1968 Grace became the Choral Director at Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, MA. While there she created the select vocal group the Quabbin Singers. This superior ensemble became the foundation of Grace’s professional pattern of excellence, benefitting all students who experienced her as a teacher and conductor. She, along with Quabbin band director John Hansen founded the Quabbin Valley Music Educators Association, a professional teacher’s group which is still active in hosting a yearly music festival for students, now in its 54th year. In 1972 Grace became the director of choral music at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA  introducing a choral program that did not previously exist and developing it into a nationally recognized standard over her 22-year tenure. A very special lasting legacy for Grace at Wachusett was her creation of the annual Madrigal Dinner.  Begun in 1982, the current music faculty (led now by a former student of Grace) celebrated its 44th production this past January. Another hallmark of Grace’s career was her volunteerism. Grace served as Central District Chairperson and later as President of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. She was also the first woman to become President of the New England Music Festival Association, an organization she herself participated in as a student, with a certificate signed by John Philip Sousa. She was a dedicated member of the American Choral Directors Association, Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, and served as an officer to the Quabbin Valley festival for the entirety of her high school teaching career.  Upon retirement in 1993 Grace was named a recipient of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Lowell Mason Award and in 1999 she was presented with the state’s highest individual award, the MMEA Distinguished Service Award. Impressively, even before she retired, in 1988 Grace founded the United States Youth Ensembles European Concert Tour, with great support and assistance from her husband Jack. The chorale, wind and string ensembles made up of talented high school students from across the USA, gathered via audition each summer to travel throughout Europe presenting concerts and touring cultural landmarks.  Grace and Jack retired from running the tour in 1998 and fully enjoyed being "snowbirds” living half the year in Tampa, FL and the other half in Wheelwright , MA and later spent summers at Summer Hill in Wells, ME. Grace and Jack loved traveling in their retirement years, enjoying many cruises and literally traveling around the world. After Jack’s passing, Grace moved to Saco, ME where she lived at Atlantic Heights.  In 2020 she returned to Ware, MA moving into Cedarbrook Village, a senior living community built on the site of the former elementary school where Grace began her career. The Reidy family would like to thank the compassionate and caring staff at Cedarbrook Village as well as Brookhaven Hospice. There will be a Memorial Mass held at 10:00 AM on Saturday June 13, 2026, at St Augustine’s Church in Wheelwright, MA. Because Grace was such an active member of St. Augustine Church in Wheelwright and served as organist and choir director at St. Aloysius in Gilbertville for many years, in lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the St. Augustine Mission, Care of St. Aloysius Church, P.O. Box 542, Gilbertville, MA 01031. Arrangements by Cebula Funeral Home, Inc., 66 South Street Ware, MA, 01082. For more information, please go to cebulafuneralhome.com

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