Valerie Rose Gronke

Valerie was born on August 26, 1959, in Newport, Rhode Island. She and her husband Dale grew up just one town apart — knowing the same people, working at the same places, yet somehow never crossing paths. That changed the day Dale pulled into the gas station where she worked and spotted her pumping gas. He turned to his buddy and said, "See that girl? I'm going to marry her." True story. From the day they finally got together, they never spent another day apart, sharing a marriage of over 45 years.

Valerie worked as a nail technician and was a longtime resident of Deltona, Florida. She and Dale were true partners in everything — from their dart league days in Chicago to the amateur poker league in Florida. She loved playing Pokémon GO, and together she and Dale found great joy in ministering to the children of their church through VBS and Awana. Above all, Valerie treasured time with her family, especially her grandchildren, who were the light of her life.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Dale Gronke; her sons, Gary Gronke, Brad Gronke, and Frank LeFever; her cherished grandchildren, Nathan, Kevin, Raylan, and Adaline LeFever, and Timothy and Cooper Gronke; her brothers, Randy Carlson and Russell Carlson; and her sister, Dawn Fishbach.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Deltona Memorial Funeral Home, 1295 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763, US, on August 13, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.