Birth date: May 28, 1944 Death date: Dec 10, 2022
Valdez, Louise Jane, 78, of Tampa, passed away December 10, 2022. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and will be deeply missed. Louise was born in Tampa to Louis S. Valdez and Frances P. Blanco Valdez. She made her life Read Obituary
Frances, I am deeply sorry for your loss. May God grant peace and comfort in your many wonderful memories of your Mother. Sincerely, Kathy Jerman
Our mom attended Villa Madonna, St. Joseph Catholic School, West Tampa Jr. High and as stated Jefferson High School. She learned to play the clarinet and was in the march in band. She also took piano lessons.
My mom was her father's daughter. She loved to work and had many years of it until 2019. She was not one to sit and do nothing. Up until her last year she wanted to go back to work. She found happiness and purpose. She worked Sahara Tahoe back in the late 1960s. Be for that she worked in a sewing factory in Tampa or so I understand. When we came back from Tahoe, she worked for the Welfare Board in the commodity warehouse. What's funny about this is that she worked with someone who I worked with in 1980 to 1981. When I saw him again a decade later, I went up to him in the courthouse and said Hey Joe how are you doing. He kind of looked at me and wasn't sure. Then I told him we used to work together , and gave him my name , and he used to work with my mom and I told him her name. And don't you know, he really remembered her! After this, she worked for Sulphur Springs Neighborhood Service Center. She used to take me there and on break take me to school. She always had some way or someone to be with me to ensure that I was never alone before school or after school. If I knew someone and we were talking she made them my friend even though we already were so I can be with them before and after school. She knew how to run a social calendar and socialized. After Sulfur Springs close down, she worked at West Tampa neighborhood service center. She also worked at the Sheriff's Office which is the place that she really loved working. She wanted some special training and needed to get it to advance, so she went to the Aviation Authority at Tampa International Airport where they were willing to train. Once she was trained she wanted to go back to the Sheriff's Office, but she stayed at the Aviation Authority because they paid more. The Aviation Authority has an overtime book (I'm not sure if they gave it to her or they kept it), but they had it when she retired in 2005 and they called her the overtime Queen. I think they had two 3-inch ring binders of all of her overtime. This is where she found her purpose and how she paid off two houses and debt before she retired.
Frances Valdes lit a candle in memory of Louise Valdez
I wish to see her back here making jokes, saying funny things, giving her a hug, eating with her and being with her watching her favorite shows. Mike and Molly, and Young Sheldon, and Everyone Loves Raymond were among her favorites. Funny thing about the TV in the hospital on that terrible morning. It kept going off and on. They say the first show was in Spanish and it stayed on a while, then shut off. It went back on and sports were on. A few seconds it went off. Then it went back on and Andy Griffin show was on. You know, Mayberry RFD. It stayed on. Someone asked to turn it off. I said no. She wants to watch it. Leave it on. The show ended and the TV went off. That was one of her shows too. I don't think it went back on again. I like to think it was her controlling the TV. It is comforting.
I want to take this time right now to thank my sister Marjorie Valdes Tran for moving in with my mom when her Alzheimer's got to the point where she couldn't stay by herself. I want to thank her for taking such good care of our mom. I know sometimes it got frustrating and I know it was hard, but she stuck it out. I thank my sister Connie for taking them both to doctor's appointments and all the other things she did to ensure they were both cared for. I wish I could have helped out more if not for all my medical problems. I am grateful for them. I thank them both. They were real Troopers and I couldn't have asked for better sisters in my mom's care. I love you both from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank the rest of our family who visited and fed my mom. Her sister Carolyn and Joe Aviles, my Uncle Ricky and his wife Robin, who just went through her own mother passing away. I want to also thank Great Niece Victoria. It was a real morale booster to see you. Thanks Cynthia, Anthony and his wife, and Alex, Lauren and Cam, her grandchildren and great grand children. I know we would not have it any other way. Thank you St. Joseph's ICU 5th floor. Thank you to Kindred Care Hospital on Howard Avenue for outstanding care, and all her doctors. You all helped my mom to fight long and hard.
I love and miss my mom tremendously. God has her in his arms. Until we meet again mom you will be in my heart always. I love you, besitos.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. Thank you God above all.
After watching her great-granddaughter for a couple of years, she went to work for the funeral home. She worked there until 2019. She networked that job at my grandmother's funeral in 2004 when she told George she would be retiring in 2005 and may want a part-time job. He said he would look for her and he found something. My mom was not the type to sit and watch a movie in her house either. Even while watching a movie she would be dusting, washing dishes, doing something around the house, on the computer looking at some news thing. I would tell her ma we're watching a movie. She would say I am watching the movie, and she had this little mirror pointing at the TV so she can watch it through the mirror and do computer work and then get up and go dust and vacuum. She could run rings around us all. To get her to sit and watch one, she had to go to the movie theater. We did that a lot. The pandemic really did a number on that outing. She had strong faith in her beliefs and in God and was baptized . She would say some funny stuff and I would always tell her, ma you're so funny. She told me, everyone says I'm so funny. And I said, it's because you are and say some funny stuff. Even in the hospital she made a joke about something that was going on with her. I will spare everybody the details of that. She made a joke and I was trying so hard not to laugh because I didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything just in case it wasn't a joke . I had that mask on and she couldn't see me grinning from ear to ear and I was laughing. I think though she saw it in my eyes. That's the one time I didn't tell her that she's so funny. And maybe I should have. That's our family way to make jokes during even serious times.
My mom was her father's daughter. She loved to work and had many years of it until 2019. She was not one to sit and do nothing. Up until her last year she wanted to go back to work. She found happiness and purpose. She worked as I understand it in a sewing factory in the 1960s before leaving for Lake Tahoe where she worked Sahara Tahoe back in the late 1960s. When we came back from Tahoe, she worked for the Welfare Board in the commodity warehouse. What's funny about this is that she worked with someone who I worked with in 1980 to 1981. When I saw him again a decade later, I went up to him in the courthouse and said Hey Joe how are you doing. He kind of looked at me and wasn't sure. Then I told him we used to work together, and gave him my name, and he used to work with my mom, and I told him her name. And don't you know, he really remembered her! "Oh Louise! I remember her. How is she doing?" After this, she worked for Sulphur Springs Neighborhood Service Center. She used to take me there and on break take me to school. She always had some way or someone to be with me to ensure that I was never alone before school or after school. If I knew someone and we were talking she made them my friend even though we already were, met the parents and asked them if I could come in the morning and after school. She knew how to run a social calendar. After Sulfur Springs closed, she worked at West Tampa Neighborhood Service Center. She also worked at the Sheriff's Office which is the place that she really loved working. She wanted some special training and needed to get it to advance, so she went to the Aviation Authority at Tampa International Airport where they were willing to train. Once she was trained she wanted to go back to the Sheriff's Office, but she stayed at the Aviation Authority because they paid more. The Aviation Authority has an overtime book (I'm not sure if they gave it to her or they kept it), but they had it when she retired in 2005 and they called her the overtime Queen. Not sure, though I think she still holds the record. I think they had two 3-inch ring binders of all of her overtime. This is where she found her purpose and how she paid off two houses and debt before she retired.
Louise and I had some good memories together. So sorry I was not able to have more time with her right before and during her illness. The pandemic didn't help nor did the time I spent caring for my husband during his 8-year terminal illness. I look forward to seeing both of them in the resurrection when God restores this earth into the beautiful planet he originally purposed it to be. Sending my love and condolences to Frances, Connie and Marjorie as well as to all Louise's beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren. Love, Esther Hein
Adorable sweet kind always smiling ‘ please accept my sorrow and tears from Katie pierola
