Obituary of Lawrence Valentine

Lawrence Hansel Valentine, age 89, died at the Medical Center of Plano on Thursday June 18, 2015. He was born June 13, 1926 in the Forest Grove community to the late Cyrus Hansel Valentine and Dosha Lorene Foster Valentine. After growing up in McCurtain County, Lawrence entered the army during WWII, was commissioned as a lieutenant, and served in Japan. After the war, he returned to Idabel, married Dale Farley, and enrolled at Oklahoma A&M College. He graduated from the A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1952 and began his veterinary practice in Wakonda, South Dakota, where he and his growing family remained until 1960. He then fulfilled his dream of returning to McCurtain County as a veterinarian where he provided dedicated service for both large and small animals and their owners until his retirement in 1993. In 1990, he was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award from Oklahoma State University. He was an anchor in the community and was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Idabel, where he gave of himself tirelessly. He was an avid horseman and cherished his trail rides with his friends, which he continued until just prior to his death. He was preceded in death by his wife and mother of his children, Dale Farley Valentine, sisters Bernice Valentine Williams, Beatrice Valentine Wallace, Wilma Valentine Wheeler, and Billie Jean Valentine Beatty, and brother Kenneth Valentine. Lawrence is survived by his wife, Linda Valentine, and his three children, Jan Valentine Yates of Powderly, TX, Karen Valentine of Edmond, OK, and Mark Valentine, of Mandeville, LA. He is also survived by 3 granddaughters, Jessica Valentine, of Oklahoma City, Katy Valentine, of Idabel, and Hillary Valentine, of Stillwater, one grandson, Sam Valentine of Mandeville, LA, and one great granddaughter, Lena Rose Valentine, of Idabel; 2 sisters, Florence Valentine Dollarhide of California and Lorene Valentine Ward, of Arizona; son in law, Tom Yates, daughter in law, Cyndi Valentine, step-son, David Dempsey and wife, Bernadine, many nieces, nephews and friends. A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at the First Baptist Church in Idabel. Interment will follow at the Denison Cemetery in Idabel, Oklahoma. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm for visitation on Monday, June 22, 2015 at the White Family Funeral Home in Idabel. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to the St. Jude Children's Hospital, PO Box 1000 Dept. 142, Memphis TN 38101-9908 or the OK Medical Research Foundation, 825 NE 13th Street, OKC, OK 73104.