Valerie Frances Gragg

Valerie Frances Gragg, 66, passed away on November 29, 2014 in Bakersfield, California after a long, yet courageous battle with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Valerie, the oldest of three children, was born on November 18, 1948 to William E. and Bonnie Jean Hawks in Berkley, California. In 1962, Bonnie moved her family to Bakersfield where Valerie attended Sierra Junior High and graduated from East Bakersfield High School in 1966.

In her younger years, Valerie was quite an adventurous person who enjoyed participating in many sports and activities, but later found her true passion in cooking. Valerie also loved to travel and visited locales around the world from the Bahamas to Tahiti. She especially enjoyed wine tasting and shopping trips to Napa Valley with her sister Terri and trips to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas with her husband Steve.

Valerie was an accomplished and respected member of the Bakersfield business community, making her mark in the infancy of the cellular phone industry in 1987 at Contel Cellular. In 1992, Valerie accepted a position at Bakersfield Cellular (now AT&T) until retiring from the Major Accounts division in 2010. Retirement did not suit Valerie well in 2011, she reentered the workforce in the Government and Education Accounts at Verizon Wireless and remained there until the progression of the disease forced her back into retirement.

Valerie is survived by her husband of 28 years Steve Gragg; her son Greg Cowan; stepson Steven Gragg Jr. and his wife Jamie; sister Terri Black and her husband Glenn; and nephews, Stephen Brewer, Sandy and Gabriel Gregorson. Her mother Bonnie Jean Hawks, father William E. Hawks, sister Nancy Gregorson and nephew Christopher Brewer predecease Valerie.

Funeral service will be held on Friday, December 5th, 2014, 2:00pm at Hillcrest Memorial Park & Mortuary, 9101 Kern Canyon Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93306