Roy "Butch" Valentine's Obituary
Butch Valentine, passed away Sunday, April 16, 2023 due to a recent battle with heart disease.
He worked tirelessly for Friends for Life , Memphis’ largest HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization 10 years, as the Development Director-planning auctions, parties, concerts, and more. Beginning as a volunteer answering the phones, he had a passion for helping as many people as possible and living by what he preached. He is well known for his series of concerts, called the Fabulous February Concerts, always honoring deceased singers, such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and others , in these concerts were anticipated by everyone who attended one before and look forward to the next one in the following year. These fundraisers raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Friends for Life organization, Memphis’ local AIDS organization and for people infected and affected by the aids virus.
On world aids day, Butch Valentine was the organizer and founder of the marker project that recognized the many deaths that Memphis has had due to HIV/AIDS. This market project was located at the corner of East Parkway and Poplar Avenue at two churches, one African-American, the other First Baptist Church of Memphis.
Butch was one of the early volunteers and organizers of the Monday night Feast For Friends which is a twice-monthly congregate meal program that offers clients hot, nutritious meals in a setting that encourages fellowship and friendship for those affected by HIV/AIDS.
After 10 years with Friends for Life, Butch decided to leave and pursue his calling of helping families that have been burdened by death by working as a Family Service Counselor at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. There he met thousands of families and made new friends instantly to whoever he served. He was a stellar family service counselor, and was one of the top counselors nationwide for Northstar Memorial Group, the parent company of Memorial Park. He said that working at Memorial Park was a continuation of his ministry, after he left Friends For Life. Once more, Butch was dedicated to his position at Memorial Park again working tirelessly hoping his efforts would ease the burden and sorrow of death to the families he served.
Butch retired from Memorial Park in 2020 enjoying his home at Pickwick Lake by playing festive card games with neighbors, visiting others while riding the roads in his golf cart, or scavenging the lake shore for interesting pieces of wood and limbs, which he named ‘Woodys’. Each Woody had a story and was seen as a unique animal, person, or thing that Butch that would clean, lacquer, and polish to make some beautiful pieces of art, and each piece had its own story.
Butch was preceded in death his father, Roy Valentines, Sr.; mother, Alberta Kimpel Valentine; and sister Ernestine Bray. He is survived by his partner of 29 years Mark Hoskins; two sisters, Susan McMillan and Luanne Valentine; four nieces, Whitney Bray, Shea House, Shannon Jordan, and Ashley Guidry; two nephews, Marty Bray and Joseph McMillan; numerous great nieces and nephews; and great great nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 1:30 PM at God’s Garden, adjacent to the Grotto. All are invited to remember and celebrate his accomplishments, kindness, and love he had made to people and the dedication he had for everyone and to help those in need.
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