Delores C. Valentine

Delores Christine (Barnes) Valentine, 79, of Berkshire peacefully went to be with the Lord surrounded by family and holding her devoted husbands hand on Thursday, April 9, 2015 in her home. She was born on July 13, 1935 in Hazard, Kentucky, the firstborn of the late Ramie Edward and Mary Beatrice (Capps) Barnes. She married the love of her life, Ralph Denson Valentine, on September 30, 1955 within a few months after meeting him at the University of Cincinnati. She was a freshman and the only female in the Civil Engineering department and he was a junior in Electrical Engineering. He first caught her eye as he walked down a hill to get lunch on campus and he knew she was the one for him when they danced together at the local hot spot, Rio Rita on the Lake. That began 60 years of dancing through life together. From square dancing to round dancing to line dancing decades passed twirling in and out of each others arms and in the company of friends and family. Her foundational love was God and her deep abiding faith sustained her throughout the trials in life and was a constant source of peace. Invited to church in Jr. High School by friends and inspired by her Sunday School teacher Mrs. Lane, she said, The Lord found me and it stuck. She had committed to heart, Psalm 23, the Apostles Creed, and the Lords prayer and would meditate on them before going to sleep. When she needed extra strength, those living words were always there bringing her peace and assurance. Delores and Ralph have four children; Deborah (Thomas) Kelly of Leawood, KS; Daniel Valentine of Berkshire; Rebecca (Earl) Lytle of Franklin, PA; and Christi Valentine-Anderson of Berkshire. They have 6 grandchildren; Hallet (Gloria) Bruestle II of Whitehall, PA; Christian Valentine of Endwell; Kathryn Kelly of Leawood, KS; Jacqueline Bruestle of Franklin, PA; John Kelly of Leawood, KS; and Aidan Anderson of Apollo Bay, Australia. Her children and grandchildren meant the world to her. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her siblings; Nola Elrod and George Barnes of Ohio. Family to Delores extended beyond bloodlines and she poured her life and values into all. Although talented and capable in many areas, as evidenced by a Bachelor and 2 Masters degrees, Delores was first and foremost a teacher. She taught High School Mathematics in Newark Valley and Owego before transitioning to a career in software programming at IBM Owego. She continued to tutor students in math after taking early retirement from IBM and was always available to help her grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbors. She saw teaching as more than passing along facts but as guiding others in all facets of life. A great joy of hers was to see someone, of any age, overcome a hurdle and then she would continue to cheer them on until they were running on their own strength. She was a very quick wit and could combine humor and advice in a way that made hard things easy to swallow. When she felt that someone was going the wrong direction with their thinking she would remind them of the Rule of Holesonce you are in a hole, stop digging. There are countless numbers of people who will miss being able to call her on the phone or come sit with her to get her thoughts on matters. Delores was an excellent cook and maintained many traditional Southern foods that she and Ralph enjoyed from their youth. Big breakfasts and card playing were staples on family visits and she made sure the family sat down together for a freshly made evening meal complete with dessert. A recent Christmas gift to her children and grandchildren was a cookbook of the favorite family recipes and pictures entitled, Seasonings of Love. Ralph and Delores brought their legacy of love to Tioga County, NY 51 years ago. The roots of this love continue to spread throughout the country and the world.Visitation will be at MacPherson Funeral Home, 5 Whig St, Newark Valley, from 6-8 PM Thursday, April 16. A Celebration of Her Life will be held at 11 am Friday at the Owego Nazarene Church, 3732 Waverly Road, Owego with Pastor Dennis King officiating. Burial will follow at 2 pm in Hope Cemetery, Newark Valley. Memories and condolences may be written in Delores guest book at macphersonfh.com