Valerie N. "Val" Raines

Valerie N. "Val" Raines departed this life Tuesday, July 4 at Hospice of the Golden Isles following a courageous ten year battle with breast cancer. Val was born in Chicago on July 18, 1955 and moved to Ft. Lauderdale at age three, thus beginning her lifelong love of sun, surf, and sand. Living in Ft. Lauderdale provided opportunities to attend concerts performed by the most popular rock and blues bands of her generation. After graduation from Stranahan High School in 1973 she worked for several companies in and around Ft. Lauderdale including her favorite, a yacht brokerage firm. After a few years she yearned for a change of scene and moved to St. Simons Island. Here she was able to continue enjoying the beach, the island music scene, and her love of horses. One of her fondest memories was riding at the Sea Island Stables under the tutelage of the late Marvin Long and his daughter Amy. Val worked at Sea Island Photography and later in the real estate office with Sea Island Properties. She married Steve Zobrist and cared for him during his battle with leukemia until his death in 1994. In 1996 Val moved to Key Largo, Florida to pursue new career opportunities at Ocean Reef, an ultra-exclusive yacht and golf club. Her business acumen was quickly recognized by the club's president and she was named Director of Retail Operations. During this time Val made Bruce Raines the happiest man on earth when she said yes to his marriage proposal. They were joined together in a sunrise ceremony on Valentine's Day 1997. A new opportunity resulted in Val and Bruce moving to Columbus, Georgia where both began work at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain. Since her days at Sea Island, Val had always been interested in Real Estate so in typical fashion, she studied hard, passed the exam, and began working at Waddell Realty in Columbus. In 2007 Val was diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer and started treatments at Columbus' John B Amos Cancer Center. In 2010 the disease had progressed to Stage 4 and more aggressive treatments began. Despite the debilitating effects of the disease, Val continued to work and became a tireless advocate for breast cancer research. She provided a much needed shoulder for others to lean on during their own struggles with treatment. Val's mantra became "Never give up, never give in" and she lived it every day. She was determined to master the very difficult craft of knitting despite having the used of only on arm. She created beautiful scarves and delighted in gifting them to friends and family. In 2015 Val and Bruce returned to St. Simons to once again enjoy the beauty of the Island, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, walk hand in hand on the beach, and reflect on their many blessings. Chief among those is three year old grand-daughter Evelyn who absolutely adores her "Mimi". Others remaining to cherish Val's memory include her loving husband and "Heartbeat", Bruce, his children Justin (Amy), Mountain Rest, South Carolina, Stephanie (Andy), Norlina, North Carolina, Harrison, Asheville, North Carolina, parents Bob and Tillie Phillips, Coventry, Rhode Island, sisters Lynne Knorr (Jon), Brunswick, Jeanne Guay, Atlanta, brother Bernie Kopp, St. Simons Island, niece Rachel Kopp, Athens, Georgia and nephew, Nicholas Kopp, US Coast Guard. Per her wishes, a joyous celebration of Val's life will be held at a later date on St. Simons. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hospice of the Golden Isles or St. Jude Children's Hospital. We want to thank the many friends in Columbus and the Golden Isles for the outpouring of love and affection during this difficult time. Reynolds Bickerstaff and the Columbus Realty family, Brian Plemmons and our extended family at Valley Hospitality in Columbus, Wright Culpepper, Janice Applegate, and Melissa Stroud from Faithworks, Revered Bonnie Lanyi, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, and the many others who were here to bring a mean, share a much needed cry, a hug, or reflect on how Val may have influence a life. The family asks for God's blessing on each and every team member at Hospice of the Golden Isles. There are indeed Angels on earth and many may be found within the walls of this incredible facility. "When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." Kahlil Gibran