Tony Vale

Tony Vale passed away peacefully on October 19, 2021, in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

He was born January 26, 1938, in San Antonio, Texas, to Antonio and Maria Elena Valdez.

He married Helen Lovik, a schoolteacher; and together they left Texas in 1959 and made their way to San Diego and then to Hawaii, right after it became the 50th state. Living on the island of Oahu, Tony continued to work in construction as he had in California and Texas. When he and his family returned to the mainland a couple of years later, they settled back in Southern California. He lived in the Golden State for the next 40 years, working as a bricklayer and then a masonry contractor until he retired. After retirement, he spent some time with friends and family in Washington State, Colorado, and South Carolina, before settling in Texas.

He was a devout Catholic and a voracious reader. On any given Sunday, after mass, he could be found studying from a stack of books by his side or reading the newspaper. He followed politics almost as closely as his faith and was never without something to say about current affairs.

He was 67 years old when he bought his first laptop. Although he wasn't experienced with keyboards, that did not stop him. Finding his way online, he taught himself the fundamentals of typing. He then enlisted a tech-savvy grandson to help him navigate e-mail and the web. Once on the internet, he roamed the information highway and he loved it.

He eventually returned to California one final time, and then, in 2013, moved to North Carolina, where he lived the rest of his life.

He was preceded in death by former spouse, Helen Vale; his mother, Maria Elena Valdez; and his brother, Carlos Valdez. He is survived by his seven children, Matthew Vale, Kevin Vale, Kerry Vale, Deborah Keesee (James), Shaun Vale, Christiane de Valdes, and Cathlynne Barton (Gerard); his siblings, Maria Elena Sepulveda (Fred), Martha Hundley (Carl), and Ricardo Valdez; 15 Grandchildren; and 13 Great Grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Immediate family will remember his life in a private memorial service.

To leave a condolence or memory for the family of Tony Vale, visit “Tributes” at www.moore-fh.com

Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations is honored to serve the family.