Valerie Raine Youngblood

A native New Yorker, Valerie attended Saint Hilda’s and Saint Hugh’s primary school before entering the High School of Performing Arts (now LaGuardia) where she concentrated on acting and dance. She went on to attend the American Music and Drama Academy in New York City. She graduated with honors from Hunter College in 1977. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School in 1992.

Valerie dedicated her subsequent law career to social justice. She started out as a public defender in the Brooklyn office of the Legal Aid Society in 1982 and was made a supervisor in 1987. She then served as Deputy-Attorney-in-Charge, and in 1994 was named Attorney-in-Charge for Brooklyn within the Criminal Defense Division of LAS. In that capacity she managed Brooklyn’s 140-attorney law office during tumultuous times.

In 1996, she left the Legal Aid Society to develop and manage the Brooklyn Treatment Court, New York City’s first drug treatment court. In 2000, she became the Director of Drug Court Programs for the Center for Court Innovation. From 2014 to her retirement in 2018, she served in the New York State Court System as the Statewide Drug Court Coordinator. She was a member of the Association of the Bar of New York. She served on the Board of Directors of the New York Association of Drug Court Professionals, including as President of the Board. She served on the board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

Valerie had an abiding love of theatre, opera, and ballet. At age 13, she stood in line all night to get tickets so she could see Rudolf Nureyev dance with Margot Fontaine. On many other occasions in her teenage years, she waited hours to obtain standing room only tickets for the latest show.

She also loved to travel. Mexico, Caribbean Islands, Europe many times. John and Val’s vacation on the romantic Amalfi Coast of Italy was an especially treasured memory. Back at home, she suffered through the years as an avid fan of the Mets and the Jets. There was always a place in her heart for the downtrodden.

Val was her family’s rock and anchor. Family dinner around the dining room table was a sacred ritual, complete with her exceptionally prepared cuisine, aesthetic presentation, and lively conversation. Val was always the host at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for extended family and friends. In family affairs, she wore all the hats: CEO, Treasurer, Head Chef, and Ambassador at large.

Her compassionate concern for others that inspired her public career was evident and personally felt by her family and friends. Her sister Victoria says: “Valerie always lent a heartfelt ear and comfort to family members and friends throughout her life. A truly remarkable woman, who always gave so much to so many who loved her.”

Valerie is survived by her husband John, her children Jeanmarie and Victoria, her granddaughter Laura, her siblings Victoria Beaman, Cordelia Jeffreys, Laurinda Ross, and Randolph Raine, and her nieces and nephews. A memorial celebrating Valerie’s life will be held on the afternoon of January 3, 2025, at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.