Valerie was born in Charleston, Illinois on June 19, 1972. Valerie passed away on August 25, 2018 in Denton, Texas of kidney failure at the age of 46. Valerie was born with Tuberous Sclerosis, a disorder than can cause retardation, brain tumors, kidney tumors, and lung disease all of which Valerie had at one time or another. Valerie came to Flagstaff when she was six weeks old and lived there for 43 years before moving to Denton, Texas in 2015. Valerie attended Special Education classes in the Flagstaff Public Schools graduating from Coconino High School in 1991. Her favorite class at Coconino was Concert Choir directed by Doug Riddle. Valerie loved to sing and sang the National Anthem twice for Phoenix Cardinal games in 1990 and 1991. One of her lifetime joys was bowling beginning when she was nine years old. She even went bowling just eleven days before passing away. Special Olympics made it possible for her to learn other sports, too. She was Arizona's only Special Olympics figure skater when she was a teenager and she participated in the International Special Olympics Winter Games at Lake Tahoe in 1988 when she was 16. When she was 23 she went to the International Special Olympics Summer games in Connecticut as part of a women's volleyball team from Flagstaff. She was given a plaque by the City of Flagstaff that same year for "contributions to disability awareness in Flagstaff." In 1988 Valerie was named Outstanding Special Olympian for Arizona . Valerie worked as a courtesy clerk at the Cedar Avenue Safeway from 2003 until 2014 and never missed a day. Valerie was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Valerie is survived by her mother, Marie Widdison; two brothers, Hal (Gracie Carrillo) of  Sioux City, Iowa and Tony (Amy Cobb) of Corinth, Texas; a sister, Diana Sapp (Steven) of Phoenix; and was predeceased by her father, Dr. Harold A. Widdison, in 2012. Valerie's funeral was held in Denton, Texas on August 30, 2018. Interment will be at Citizen's Cemetery in Flagstaff on September 8, 2018. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m.