- Date Of Death: January 4, 2020
- State: New Mexico
Beloved husband, treasured father, precious brother and friend to so many went home to his Savior Jesus on January 4, 2020, surrounded by his family. Jim was born in New York City to Henry (Jimmy) and Anne Valentine on June 29, 1942. Jim loved to tell stories and one of his favorites was about his father packing up the family of 4 kids into a model T truck and driving from NYC to Oregon after WWII-way before the days of highways, seatbelts or car seats!
He grew up in Medford, Oregon and many of his classmates from St. Mary’s were lifelong chums. Oh! the stories of football and picking pears!
Jim is survived by his wife, Nancy; and three children whom he adored, James, Jr., Joanie and her husband Andrew, and Jocelyn and her husband Paul. He is also survived by Scott Holmes and Michelle Holmes. He so loved his grandchildren Harry, Holden, Tabitha, Cheyenne, Zacharie, Brittany, Rowena, Paige, and Troy. Plus the 10 great-grands!!! Jim’s two sisters and one brother also survive him. Carmen Frazier and husband Marvin of Denver, Carol Hutchison and her husband Terry of Portland and brother Don Valentine and his wife Rosemary of Parkdale, Oregon. He also leaves lots of nieces and nephews. He loved being Uncle Jim to you all.
He worked as a flooring contractor for 50 years and he was still having dreams (nightmares!) of flooring jobs up until he died!
It’s impossible to condense a life like Jim’s into a few paragraphs. He was a wonderful father, beloved husband, crazy skier, mountain climber, fisherman, and a tax rebel for a number of years!
The last few years of his life he discovered a relationship with Jesus that gave meaning to everything else and an assurance of the life that awaited him. He has worn a bracelet this past year which has Isaiah 49:31 on it: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Soar on dear daddio, brother, lover and friend. You will be missed every day.
