Verne was born on June 18, 1947, to Ausbrand and LaVerne Valentine in Pierre, South Dakota. He graduated from Ft. Pierre High School in 1965. Verne joined the South Dakota National Guard in 1964 and served as a pilot in the South Dakota and Washington State National Guard, having attained the rank of Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged.
He married Judy McLauchlan in 1983 in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. They made their home in West Seattle until moving to Redmond in 2013.
Verne left South Dakota for Seattle, Washington in 1967 to work for Boeing. He later worked for Burlington Northern Railroad for many years and eventually founded his own insurance business in West Seattle in 1978. Verne and Judy retired from the insurance business in 2017.
He was supportive of his community, serving as a past board member for the West Seattle YMCA and assisting with fundraising activities for the organization. He was also a past member of the Freemasons.
Through the years Verne's favorite past time was continuing his love as a pilot and traveling with his devoted wife Judy. They enjoyed extensive trips to Europe, Australia, and the South Pacific. He especially enjoyed trips to South Dakota to visit family and friends.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife Judy, brother Robert (Deb) Valentine, his sisters Berniece (Phil) Meyers, Mary (Robert) Austad, Colleen (Don) SKinner, his aunt, and uncle Alta Lenore and Warren Case, several nieces and nephews, cousins, sisters- and brothers-in-law.
Verne was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers-in-law, and one sister-in-law.
Words are not adequate to describe our sadness, and yet, we are grateful to have been blessed for the years we had with him
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at 1:00 pm at Ceder Lawns Funeral Home in Redmond, Washington.
Inurnment will take place at a later date in South Dakota.
"The nature of your worth is the love you left behind. Time is all that stands between us." -Unknown Author
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