Michael Angelo Valentin

Michael Angelo Valentin, 32, of Tampa and formerly Chicago, departed this world on October 27, 2021. Michael was a loving son and best friend to his mother, Iris Torres, of Chicago, Illinois, and his father, Henry Valentin, of Chicago, Illinois.

He was the loving father of Amiyah Valentin and Michael Valentin Jr (Mikey) and long-time boyfriend of Danielle Connell.

Michael was preceded in death by his grandfather, Jose Torres.

Although only 32 at the time of his death, Michael affected many people in his lifetime. His smile lit up a room and showed his delicate side. Even a fleeting memory of his loving smile is enough to light up your darkest days. He was quiet yet funny, funny yet compassionate, and understood the value of family. Michael was the epitome of the saying, “the bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.”

To Amiyah, they say that a father adores his daughter from the instant he lays eyes on her. Whomever she grows up to be, she is always to him that little girl in pigtails. She makes him feel like Christmas. Michael has left an imprint on you for the rest of your life. He was a father. That’s what a father does. He eases the burdens of those he loves. So in your darkest days, when you may feel inadequate, unloved, or unworthy, remember whose daughter you are and straighten my crown. Your dad gave you the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in you and your dreams. You are and will always be his first love.

“He sweeps her hair back from her ears, and he swings her above his head. He says she is his émerveillement, he says he will never leave her, not in a million years.”

To Mikey, remember when you are at your best, you are your father’s son. Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers, and fathering is a critical stage in their development. There’s an inexplicable connection and imprint that your father leaves on you beyond life and death with sons and fathers. Until you have a son of your own, you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son. Remember, what was silent in the father speaks in the son, and in the son is the unveiled secret of the father. You are his legacy! When you need his guidance, call out to him, he will be there to lead you.

Michael leaves to cherish his memory, his brothers Alexis J. Torres and Oscar A. Valentin. His uncle Moses Valentin, his aunt’s Elsie Valentine and Eileen Torres, grandmother’s Ana Torres and Aquilina Rivera, grandpa Candido Rivera and Angel Ramos, his nieces Oly’anna A. Valentin, Olayah A. Valentin, Zoey’Nicole A. Torres, his nephew’s Alexis J. Torres II, Camryn L. Bynum, and a host of friends and family.

A visitation for Michael will be held Sunday, November 7, 2021 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33614.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gonzalezfuneral.com for the Valentin family.