The following messages of condolence and symbols
have been added in memory of Valentina.

Missing you so much T. I hope you are painting in the most magnificent setting and that you are painfree, carefree and happy. I will miss you every single day my heart beats, until it stops and we meet again, Until then sis <3 , I have you in my heart always.
Love you tanto 🖌🎨👼🙏🌼💝
Nooch xxx

From one Tina to the other Tina. Love is our expression. Sending love to you, Scott and your family. Life brought us together and we explore all the ups and downs of our lives. You met me when I struggled to find love, I didn't believe it. You and the story of you and Scott showed me what was possible and eventually when I was ready, love showed up. It was so lovely for me and Bryan have the opportunity to see you in Geelong. It must be love that led us to each other. In our chats a topic always came up was how do you know that you are worthy of love? Now it is clear there is no any other way or anyone to question the worthiness of love. Because you are love and your essences have guided and shined on me and I am forever grateful. Thank you for you being the light and the love that you are.
Love always Tina and Bryan

In the deafening silence that is left, the painful tital wave of your absence has crushed me.
You are so loved beyond measure my darling sister. We are together for ever in this life and the next.
Fly free and high, I'll be seeing you
real soon sis, until then fly free my angel.
Love your nooch xo

I still remember the kitchen table in Willimastown, where you lovingly made your gnocci. I still remember the strawberries growing in your garden. I still remember the incredible paintig's you painted hanging on your walls, so vivid, so bright, so meaningful with every brush stroke. I still remember chuckling away with Anna as you listened to all our crazy Friday night on the town stories.I still remember your maturity, your grace, your logic and you gentle calming voice. It was like talking to an angel. I am so glad I knew you even for a brief time in history. You made such an impression on me and you were wise beyond your years. You will be missed Valentina and let it be known , you were truly loved as you were one of a kind. Rest in peace, love Katerina.

Dear Scott and Family,

Dear Scott and Family,

I am profoundly saddened by the news of Valentina's passing. Please accept my deepest sympathies. Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time

When I heard the news about Tina’s illness, I wanted to meet her for my closure. Sometimes there is no limit to how utterly selfish a human being can be under the guise of good. Later i used some time to sort through my emotions and simply see things for what they were and this is what I found:

She was someone I’ve come to respect and admire immensely. From the get go. I have no explanation for why that was the case. It is one of those life’s mysteries where I didn’t use my usual filtering mechanism of layers upon layers to unravel before trusting someone. She just started from the point of trust without any layers involved. The most beautiful part was she reciprocated equally. That is what made our friendship simple, deep and beautiful based on mutual respect.

Today when she is gone, I feel anger for how unfair life is, sad for losing a dear beloved friend and helpless for not being able to do anything to alleviate it for her but also immensely grateful that I came to know such a friendship and had the privilege of having one.

I thank her for being - a simple, beautiful, genuine, graceful and generous being. My children sensed it along with me hence I never even for a moment felt I couldn’t share them with her. Our lives are richer for having had her in it.

A poem by Maya Angelou that reminds me of her:

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

My favorite memory’s of Tina:

I felt really warm and fuzzy whenever I arrived at Scott and Tina’s house.
I saw Mr Morris always so cute.
I smelt the great dinners Tina cooked.
I tasted the yummy hot chocolate and mini marshmallows Tina always made for us.
I heard the sound of Scott and Tina talking to mummy and daddy.

When I think of Tina, I think of art. My dad describes Tina’s art as ‘ picasso style’.

I admire how passionate Tina was.

I was very lucky to have known Tina. When I first found that Tina had passed on, I didn’t want to believe it … but unfortunately I had to. I felt like I had Deja Vu. I didn’t know how such a thing could have happened. If somebody didn’t like Tina, I don’t know what was wrong with them. Tina was so kind. She always put others before herself. Not everybody has that skill.Tina was very important to me.

When I look at my two toys, Lucky and Stella, I will always think of my soft, gracious, creative aunt.

In memory of Tina, I will continue trying to be better at art and trying my best in everything I do.

I will miss her very much.

If you could count on someone to turn your frown upside down, it was Tina.
If you could count on someone to make the best pasta anyone had ever tasted, it was Tina.

Tina was the kindest person anyone could have ever met, and anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her was very lucky.

Because Tina didn’t die. Sure her body may have, but her spirit hasn’t. It lives on, every day, in each and every one of us, and it always will

Your light will forever burn bright. Your colours will always shine on a cloudy day. The soft tender kindness behind your smile will be locked in my memories to cherish always. Fly high my beautiful cousin. The lorikeets I feed every day will always remind me of your beautiful aura and your beautiful paintings that I will always remember. Love you always x

I’m so sorry for your loss. A beautiful soul taken too early. Thinking of you all at this difficult time xx

Oh Valentina. Thank you for gracing us with your beautiful, grounded presence. Your kindness and courage changed my life forever, and I'm eternally grateful. Peace, love and rest, dear beautiful soul.

This is not a Goodbye Sweetie since you are always in my heart.
Till next we meet
Love always
Zia Petra

A symbol of the colour & brightness you brought to those who knew you Val

‘Those we love don’t go away,
They walk beside us every day’
Valentina was a beautiful person who touched so many hearts.
Deepest sympathy to Scott and her family at this very sad time,
Lots of love,
Rae, Peter, Megan and Andrew and families

Carissima Valentina
Ancora non posso accettare la tua mancanza, e un Dolore che traffigge Il cuore , anche col passar del tempo, Sei e sarai sempre sempre nei nostri Cuori.
Il mio e un saluto, Arrivederci.

My Dearest Aunty Valentina,

In the memories of those you’ve loved and those who have loved you,
In thoughts of those who quietly admired your strength and perseverance,
In words told to little children about beautiful Christmas lunches across Nona’s glass table and presents of giant dolls and trips to science works,
in the memory of every student who was excited to get to see you you’ll live on in their thoughts of your encouragement and comforting words in times of need,
Your impact is and will be forever lasting,
I love you Aunty Valentina may your soul find ever lasting peace.
Words can’t do justice.

Some words in honour of Val.

In our grief we cannot help but cry. Whether they be external tears or internal tears, they are the liquid love for Val.

A kind and beautiful soul I had the privilege to meet and will never forget.

Loved by all and gone too soon, may she may she fly high sharing her special gifts, as she is reunited with her loved ones and fur babies.

May you rest in peace Val ❤

Kim xox

Dear Scott and Family,
On behalf of the Board, staff and members of the Geelong Region Local Learning and Employment Network we offer our heartfelt condolences to you and your family on the passing of Valentina. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

La tristezza e il dolore per la tua partenza mi ha invaso profondamente. Ma so che ci rivedremo e so che potrai volare libera per nuovi orizzonti. Sei sempre stata curiosa e aperta alle esperienze della vita, probabilmente adesso è il momento di viverne altre. Ti voglio bene tanto tanto, c’è una nuova stella nel cielo insieme e zio Mario è il mio papà che brilleranno. Come mi hai scritto tu nell’ultimo messaggio: Before always and forever there is love....
Love you big time.
❤

My sweet sister Valentina,
You have touched so many with your beautiful light to everyone who met you. Your warmth and wisdom were beyond precious , a warm hug to all you encountered 🤗 You always listened and never judged, people were drawn to your mesmerising grace and unconditional love. You lived life with pure gratitude and your ways taught so many of us to embrace love, kindness and to become the better versions of ourselves by being wonderful, magical you.
I am still in disbelief that you have left us , but we know your suffering will be no more 🙏
An angel has gained her wings, fly high my darling sister, sei
grande . Forever connected by heart and soul, till we meet again.
As you have said, in the end only,only kindness matters and your ways taught were exactly that. I hold you in my heart and thought s eternally , Love you T , your sister P 🪽 🪽

Dear Scott & family,
We are so very sorry to hear of Tina’s passing. A beautiful soul who has silently given so much to others.
We hope you can find strength in the joyful memories created together.
Our love and thoughts are with you.
Your friends,
Jo & Neil

Grief is not just an emotion-it's an unraveling, a space where something once lived but is now gone. It carves through you, leaving a hollow ache where love once resided.
Grief is love with nowhere to go. It crashes over you like waves, unpredictable and relentless, reminding you of what once was and what will never be again. In the beginning, it feels unbearable-like an open wound that may never heal. The silence left behind is deafening, the absence impossible to fill. But grief is not just about pain; it is proof of love's existence, a testament to the depth of what we once held dear.
With time, the sharp edges of sorrow begin to soften— not because we forget, but because we learn to carry love and loss together. You do not "move on" from grief; you move forward with it, allowing it to shape you, to deepen your understanding of love, to make you more human. The love that once filled your world does not vanish; it transforms. It lingers in the echoes of laughter, in the warmth of old memories, in the quiet moments where you still reach for what is no longer there. And that's okay.
Grief is not a weakness. It is not something to be hidden or ashamed of. It is sacred. It is the price we pay for love, the evidence of something beautiful that touched our souls.
My precious Valentina, I will remember you and love and honour you for all my days till we meet again. Rest now my angel ❤️

My beloved sister, from your hospital bed, you softly sang these poignant words from the lyrics by Jewel - 'In the end...only kindness matters'.
Your kindness knew no bounds; you were my heart, my strength, and the finest part of me, my darling sister.
Till we meet again sis
Love you for eternity, your nooch, Anna
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
I would like to dedicate this poem to you sis:
I didn't love you by Ullie Kaye

I didn't love you-
I love you still.
In the present tense.
In the here and now.
In this breath and the next.
You are not gone from my heart
Nor will you ever be.
Just because this earth no longer
holds your body, doesnt mean
that our souls are not entwined.
We are mingling everyday.
joined at the horizon of this world and the next.
you weren't- you are.
you didnt- you do.
you can never be erased.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️

To you Valentina

The sky will always exist above us.
Now that you are there, the sky is luminous.

The stars will always be there,
And you will be the brightest one.

The meadows will always be beautiful,
In their vastness, colors, and fragrance,
And you are among them.

The animals will be happier
To receive your caresses and kindness.

I am happy to have been your mother.
You are my daughter as long as my breath lasts.

You are and will always be
My sweet, wonderful child,
Full of so much love and courage.
You will always be close to me in my heart.

I await my last breath,
And you will be near me again.
Mum

Dear Scott and Family,
I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of your wife Valentina. Please accept my heartfelt condolences during this incredibly difficult time. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
With deepest sympathy,
Cassandra Ashworth

Mine are not words of condolence.
I just declare, to all those who loved her, and the world, that she lives on in my heart.
Every little memory precious beyond words or measure.
She was, and continues to be, my light.
A world without you, dear Valentina, is truly the dark night of the soul.
Love you with all my heart.
We will meet again.
But not yet, not yet.