Gladys Opal Valenti

Gladys Opal Valenti, 85 of St. Joseph, formerly of Jacksonville, Florida, passed peacefully on July 30, 2009. Cremation has already taken place with a private family gathering to be held at a later date. Gladys was born on August 7, 1923, to Oscar and Hattie (Turner) Burns in Dyersburg, Tennessee. She and her late husband, Sam Valenti, lived in Jacksonville for nearly forty years where they owned and operated a Texaco station for many years. Prior to their move to Florida, they owned a farm on Boyer Road in Coloma. Gladys also worked for ConvalAide in Jacksonville as a caregiver for many years. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Cynthia (Les) Miller of Benton Harbor, and Barbara (Terry) Westbrook of Stevensville; son, David(Jeanine) Sillaway of Boynton Beach, Florida; eight grandchildren, Terry (Renee) Sillaway of Coloma, Greg (Jackie) Sillaway of Saginaw, Chris Sillaway of Maryville, Tennessee, Jana (John) Jennings of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Lisa (Mark) Cooney of Milford, Michigan, and Marilyn Dorry, John Peden, and Laura (Ron) Goos all of St. Joseph; thirteen great-grandchildren; sister, Naomi (Buck) Chipman of Atoka, Tennessee, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband and her parents, Gladys was preceded in death by her grandson, Jeffery Sillaway; two sisters, Mildred Winter and Donna Sue Perigen; brothers, J.B. Burns, Leonard Burns, Cleatus Burns, Arthur Burns, and Paul Burns.