Watertown - Mrs. Agatha Mary "Val" (Valigursky) Polowy, 78, formerly of Thomaston, died on Sunday, January 17, Hartford Hospital. She was the widow of William Michael Polowy. She was born January 26, 1937 in Torrington, daughter of the late Andrew and Anna (Trembac) Valigursky. She was a graduate of Sacred Heart School in Torrington and Torrington High School. She received a B.A. in education from the Danbury Teachers College, now known as Western Connecticut State University. Following this she received a Masters in Education and a sixth year degree from Central Connecticut State University. Mrs. Polowy began her teaching career in Litchfield. She also taught in Jacksonville, FL, Marlborough, CT, Waterbury, Toul, France, Heidelberg, Germany, Winchester, MA and Winchester, CT. While teaching in Europe, she traveled throughout the countries visiting relatives in Brno, Kosice and Nizny Ruzbahy, in what was then Czechoslovakia. She visited Greece and North Africa. She retired from teaching in 1998, but following retirement she worked at the Pratt Nature Center in New Milford for five years and continued working in Winchester as a substitute. Also during retirement she became involved with volunteerism. Val, as she was known, was a docent at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, was president of the Thomaston Historical Society for four years and then coordinating volunteer at the Seth Thomas Bradstreet House on Main Street in Thomaston. She served on the pre commission study group of the Thomaston Historical Commission and was a member of the Thomaston Historical Commission. She was a member of the Clock Tower Commission and served on a sub group of the Greenway Committee. She was a member of the Senior Writers Group and also a member of the Northfield Womens Literary Club. When her children were young, she was an officer of the Thomaston Schools P.T.O. and served on the Thomaston High School Building Committee to oversee the building of the new high school on Branch Road. Mrs. Polowy and her family were lovers of animals, recuing abandoned cats and dogs and adopting many cats and dogs from shelters in the area as well as from the Animal Control Station under the late Cheryl Waldron. She also had many interests which included swimming, cross country skiing, acrylic painting, quilting, gardening, playing piano and guitar. But above all these she loved her family and extended family. She is survived by two sons, William David Polowy and Timothy John Polowy; her sisters, Margaret, Victoria and Sophia as well as thirty seven known nieces and nephews. Her husband, parents, sisters and a brother predeceased her. Arrangements: A mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, January 30, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston. Burial will be in the spring in Hillside Cemetery. Arrangements are in the care of the Lyons Funeral Home 46 High St. Thomaston. For more information or to express notes of sympathy and comfort to Agathas family please visit her tribute at www.lyonsfuneralhome.com Memorial contributions may be in Agathas name to the Seth Thomas Bradstreet House C/O Thomaston Historical Society Thomaston, CT 06787, The International Myeloma Foundation 12650 Riverside Drive Suite 206 N. Hollywood, CA 91607-3421, Thomaston Public Library 248 Main St. Thomaston, CT 06787 or the Animal Rescue Foundation P.O. Box 538 Thomaston, CT 06787.

Service Information Service Saturday January 30, 2016 11:00 AM St. Thomas Church One East Main St. Thomaston, CT -->