Valentina Morrison

Valentina Morrison was born in Joziornicy, Poland on April 30, 1930.  In 1936 she moved to Canada with her mother, father and younger sister Kay. After high school graduation she worked to supplement the family income.  On June 11, 1949 she married Robert (Bob) Morrison in New Westminster, British Columbia. They had two children; son Robert Allan (Al) born in 1953 and daughter Lorill Ellen (Lori) born in 1954.

During her marriage she resided in Wenatchee, Washington; Portland, Oregon; St Paul, Minnesota; Toronto, Ontario, Canada where she and Bob participated in a curling league and a five pin bowling league as well as becoming avid Toronto Maple Leafs fans; Seattle Washington where they participated in square dancing and enjoyed camping trips to places like Lake Chelan and vacationing at various Birch Bay resorts where Bob would commute on weekends; and back to St Paul where they purchased a home that Val loved across the street from the home they built during their previous residency, she was a volunteer at the Guthrie Theater for performing arts.  She played pinochle with friends, bowled in the basement of the St. Paul Athletic Club, enjoyed tailgating and going to the Minnesota Vikings football games, and spending weekends at their trailer in Lindstrom, Minnesota. They settled in Denver, Colorado where she played bridge, golfed and where Bob retired in 1981. They also enjoyed attending musicals performed by major theater travel companies in many of the cities where they resided.

Valentina raised her children, often serving as both mom and dad since Bob’s heavy travel schedule meant he was often out of town. She shuttled the kids between their activities as well as all the other activities of the household. She also worked as an assistant to several optometrists in St. Paul and Denver. After retirement, she and Bob built a beautiful home in Birch Bay Village, Washington, just south of the Canadian border. There they hosted their kids and grandkids on almost annual visits to the sea shore.

In 1999 they celebrated 50 years of marriage with their relatives and close friends in Birch Bay.

Val and Bob later purchased a small home in Thousand Palms, California where they spent their winters. There they entertained, socialized, golfed and had brunch with friends on New Year’s Day after which they would tour the cemetery where celebrities were interred, including Frank Sinatra, to see the extravagant holiday decorations on their graves.

 In retirement she enjoyed golfing (in two leagues and celebrating not one but two holes in one), serving as president of the Birch Bay Village Women’s Club, entertaining, gardening, socializing with many friends and traveling, especially the many cruises, including two through the Panama Canal.

Happy hour was promptly at 5:00 p.m. daily followed by a delicious meal prepared by Val often using vegetables from her fabulous garden.

In 2011 Val was diagnosed with dementia. In November 2015 they moved into an assisted living apartment in Bellingham, Washington. Their apartment was warm and comfortable and their meals were prepared in the facility’s dining room each day. Val eventually was moved in to the memory care unit and then to another memory care facility across the street that offered more in depth care. Bob visited her for hours each day.

Val passed away quietly on November 12, 2019 in Bellingham, Washington, preceded in death by husband Bob. She is survived by their two adult children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.