Mary Valerie Costanzo Balliet, 67, of Vero Beach, formerly of New Canaan, Conn., passed away peacefully at home on June 22, 2015.
She is survived by her son Brian Balliet, Jr. of Vero Beach, several aunts and uncles, and many cousins.
Born in Springfield, Va., on Jan. 14, 1948, she was the daughter of the late Gesualdo and Lillie Gugliotta Costanzo. She spent her early years in Italy and Greece, where her father was working as a U.S. government representative assisting economic development after World War II. At kindergarten age she spoke Greek as well as English.
During her later childhood she and her parents lived in New Canaan, Conn. She attended Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, and there she met her future husband, Brian Balliet, Sr.
She and Brian Sr. had a son, Brian Jr., who is affected by autism. After Brian Jr.’s birth, Balliet dedicated her life to his care, and devoted considerable time and dedication to the understanding and treatment of autism. She worked actively with several professional organizations toward this end, notably the Carolina Living and Learning Center in Pittsboro, N.C.
Balliet’s mother and husband both passed away at tragically young ages. She and her father moved to Vero Beach where they devoted their lives to making the best possible life for Brian Jr.
Her family is very grateful to many loyal nurses and caregivers who provided constant, loving care to both Mary and Brian during the last years of her life.
A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 12 p.m. in the Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home, 1655 27th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mary will be buried in the family plot in New Canaan, Conn.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Camp Royall Scholarship Fund of the Autism Society of North Carolina, www.autismsociety-nc.org. An online guestbook is available at www.lowtherfuneralhome.com.
