Ronald Richard Valentine, 74, passed away Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Lander, Wyo., following lung cancer. He was born in 1944, to Henry and Connie (Cook) Valentine of Morton, Wash.
Ronald leaves his daughter, Shelly Theresa Valentine; grandson, Parker Ray Rounds, both of Lake Stevens, Wash.; mother, Connie and her husband, Bob Makein of Chehalis, Wash.; his brothers and sisters, Dianne Robison of Emmett, Idaho, Cheri Valentine of Arvada, Colo., Brian Valentine of Seattle, Wash., and Rick Valentine of Federal Way, Wash.; and many close cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Grant Valentine in 1974.
Ronald was raised in Centralia and attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, graduating from Centralia High School in 1962. Afterward, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and served nearly a decade decoding languages in the Air Force’s Intelligence branch, learning many different languages along the way. His basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base in Bexar County, Texas. He was sent to the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and then went to Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, for further training in cryptologic and intelligence. While there, he met and married Doris Setser and had one child, Shelly Valentine. He was then stationed at Misawa Air Base in Misawa, Japan. He graduated with a degree in Oceanography from Florida Institute of Technology and worked as a specialized contractor for the United States Navy. He worked and retired from John Fluke Manufacturing Company in Everett as their quality control manager.
After retiring from Fluke, Ronald followed his passion into horsemanship. He competed in Western Pleasure and Trail, winning many ribbons and awards. He became a certified horse trainer through John Lyons and started his own company, Heart Centered Horsemanship in Victor, Mont., where he trained many horses and their people until he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Along his journey and struggles with M.S., he found the courage and strength to be a fierce competitor and became an expert in many interests and hobbies such as hunting and fishing, motocross, horsemanship, photography and target shooting. Along with his horse, Sweetline Fancy, they competed and won many competitions, one of which was the AQHA World Championship in Oklahoma, where they earned World Champion in Western Pleasure and Trail in 1998. He was a careful and calculated marksman and enjoyed his time competing with his friends, made at Lander Valley Sportsmen’s Association and Cholla Gun Club in Yuma, Ariz. He truly relished the strong friendships he made at his gun clubs.
A funeral service will be held March 23, 2019, at 11 a.m., at Claquato Cemetery in Chehalis, Wash. All are welcome.
