July 15, 1946—November 8, 2021
The best mother anyone could ever ask for has passed into eternity and is now face to face with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Though she had a life that seemed to be filled with more challenges than most, she never let them break her, but met each obstacle with poise and vigor. Almost anyone who met her could attest to her kindness and compassion. She was always willing to go out of her way to help anyone in need, even chauffeuring elderly friends or family for the last decade of her life, bringing them to appointments or other errands. She truly loved to serve others.
Valerie grew up in a military family (her father, Frank L. Ayres retired as Colonel in the Air Force) and thus she and her brothers Paul, Frank, and John moved quite frequently—living in California, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hawaii, and even Tokyo, Japan. She worked quite a variety of jobs throughout her life also—car hop at a drive-in restaurant in Ohio, guide at a historic home in Massachusetts, mail deliverer, keypunch operator, housekeeper for cabins in Montana, clerk-typist at the Pentagon, Civil Service worker for the IRS, loan processor in Virginia, secretary on Capitol Hill, at-home daycare provider, front office worker for a TV, VCR repair company, and then to her final job at the California Department of Water Resources, where she was hired in 1994 as a clerical worker. Over the course of 20 years she worked her way up the ladder, getting her final promotion to Land Surveyor in May, 2000. She was able to indulge her love of history and learning in this new role by working on historic deeds and maps, and going out into the field to do surveys all over California (as the “old lady doing survey work, showing up some of the younger men”) before retiring in December, 2013. Valerie had an easy-going nature and a top-notch work ethic, which anyone who worked with her could certainly attest to.
Valerie met and married Fred Whisenhunt in Virginia in the summer of 1972 (her first daughter Robin was 2 years old at the time), and together she and Fred had three children (Rachel, Rhonda, and Ryan) before later divorcing in 1991. She found joy in bringing up her children, worked hard to take care of them and provide for their needs, and made difficult sacrifices for them—not thinking twice about putting herself last.
After going on a trip to Europe with her mother—Merrily Ayres (Kelliher), in the summer of 1999—she naturally became a world traveler. That first trip began a love-affair with travel which not only took her to such places as New Mexico, Missouri, Gettysburg, Washington DC, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Mackinaw Island, Yellowstone, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Niagara and Buffalo New York, Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, Mexico, China, Italy, Greece, Austria, Portugal, Ireland, and Israel…but it led her to meet her best friend and travel partner of 18 years, Marlene Backman, who has truly become like one of the family.
Valerie became a grandmother to Lindsay Williams (Rachel) as well as Sean and Quinn Whisenhunt (Ryan and his wife Heather), and even a great-grandmother to Melody (Lindsay). She adored being “grammy”, and took delight in spending quality time with the little ones in her life.
The final years of Valerie’s life were met with new focus—one which came after surrendering her life to God and putting her faith and trust in Jesus—a focus that had her pouring over the Bible for hours a day. She found great joy waking up and reading the Word of God every morning, studying, doing devotionals, and even listening to sermons every day as she walked for 1-2 miles. Valerie was a member of Centerpoint Community Church and attended weekly services and Bible studies there until the pandemic hit in 2020 and their services went online. She then began attending services at Sierra Baptist Church where her son Ryan, daughter-in-law Heather, and grandchildren Sean and Quinn attend, as well as granddaughter Lindsay and great-granddaughter Melody. She highly valued the teaching and preaching of pastor Randal Pollard, and thoroughly enjoyed being together with her family in church each week.
Though we mourn the fact that she is no longer with us in person, her indelible mark has been left on many generations of our family, and so many of her dear friends throughout the years. Memories of Valerie are a rich blessing that we will cling to until we meet with her in sweet reunion before our Lord, where we will once again be able to worship Him together as a family—but this time, forever.
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A celebration of life service will be held at Sierra Baptist Church in Newcastle, CA at a date yet to be determined. Please email Valerie's son, Ryan Whisenhunt for further details ( [email protected] )
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