A true Atlantan, Valery was known for her grace, compassion, and quick wit—delivered with the vocabulary of an English studies major and the style to match. At sixteen, she won the Atlanta Country Club Women’s Golf Championship, her power off the tee becoming family legend. In 1974, Valery married Mark Singleton, with whom she was married for twenty-three years. She modeled for several years before embracing the role she cherished most: motherhood.
After the passing of her father, Ed Voyles, she became the dealer principal of the Ed Voyles Automotive Group, where she remained the heart of the company and earned numerous industry honors. A dedicated volunteer and fundraiser, she was active in the Junior League and supported the Shepherd Center, Kennesaw State University, and local schools, among many others.
Valery attended The Westminster Schools for her final three years of high school, where she deepened the inquisitive, no-nonsense philosophy she passed on to her children: stand up for yourself, question everything, and keep going. She believed travel was essential to a full education and delighted in sharing new cultures and old histories. She loved fishing, classic films, and making Jell-O for a sick day—Elizabeth Taylor on the screen and excellent advice at the ready. She valued firm boundaries and quick reassurance, settling arguments with a cool-down and a hug.
Above all, she was a grandmother whose eyes lit at the sound of River’s voice and a mother who never told her daughter she couldn’t do something “because she was a girl.”
Valery is survived by her children, daughter Jessi and her husband Ryan, and son Chase; her beloved granddaughter, River; her brothers, Ben and Bill Voyles; and her nieces, Brooke, Heidi, Kelly, and Brennan, and nephews, Logan, Jim and Ed. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Dora and Ed Voyles, and nephew, Bill Voyles Jr. She loved them all deeply, and they loved her.
She was admired by all who knew her and will be profoundly missed.
Public services will be held at 1:00 PM Thursday, November 13th at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Rev. Scott Tucker officiating. The family will greet guests in Fellowship Hall immediately afterwards. Burial will be private.
In Valery's honor, please consider supporting the Green Adventure Project school in lieu of sending flowers. This is the school of her only granddaughter, River. Green Adventure Project employs a unique, nature-immersed, inquiry-based approach to learning — one of only a few similar schools in the country.
