Carole Joyce Valentine Scates

Devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Carole Joyce Valentine Scates, age 85, of Plant City passed away on September 2, 2026. Born in Virginia to Chief Petty Officer Robert and Margaret Valentine, Carole grew up as a child of the Navy raised around the United States. She was a part of the Lost Class of Granby High and graduated from JH Rose High School in Greenville North Carolina in 1959. Carole met and fell in love with her husband, Lester Scates, 65 plus years, at a church function on the beach. Carole continued to live the military life with Lester around the world as a Navy and Army wife. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from Old Dominion University and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Troy State University and Doctoral credits from Nova University. Throughout Lester’s duty assignments and after his retirement from the US Army, Carole taught for more than 30 years in both public and private settings eventually retiring from Palm Beach County Schools. During that time, Carole touched many lives providing a love of learning through reading.

Lester and Carole enjoyed a wonderful life together attending officer balls, entertaining friends, being involved in their local church, traveling the country, raising their two children, and being involved in their grandchildren’s lives. As a breast cancer survivor, Carole actively participated in Relay for Life events fundraising for the American Cancer Society. She enjoyed reading, listening to her husband and children sing, the beach, her dogs, making cakes and art projects, taking her grandchildren to Disney and Seaworld, going to her grandchildren’s sporting events, and cheering on the Florida State Seminoles.

Carole is survived by her husband, Lester; her children and their spouses, Larry (Corine) Scates and Leslie (Seth) Adams; grandchildren, Kollette (Jorge) Carrasco, Joshua (Estefania) Adams, Landon (Romy) Scates, Bryson (Jenna) Adams, and Ashleigh Adams; great-grandchildren Kailenn Carrasco, Sydney Carrasco, Ezra Scates, and Prince Adams; and sister Phyllis Presson. In addition, Carole is also survived by her honorary daughter Nicole Dean, grandson Alex Hughes, and cherished caregivers who supported her journey through the end of life.

Services will be held at Wells Funeral and Event Center in Plant City, FL on September 10, 2026 at 6:30pm with visitation beginning at 5:00 pm. She will be laid to rest on Friday at Sarasota National Cemetery.

Flowers are welcome, or those wishing to honor Carole may make a memorial donation to Relay for Life of Greater Tampa Bay:

https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=112836&pg=personal&px=2454764