Robert William Valenti

Robert W. Valenti, 85, former resident of Sacramento, died suddenly on Nov 30, 2024 in Fresno, California. Robert William Valenti was born on March 3, 1939 in Nashua, New Hampshire to William M. and Olivette D. (Dionne) Valenti. Robert's father worked for General Electric and eventually moved the family to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where they lived at 32 Third Street, and Robert eventually graduated from St. Joseph's Catholic High School in 1957. Over the next two years, Robert worked various jobs at the Butler Flour Company, being a dairy courier, laying railroad tracks, and working as a 'pin boy' setting up bowling pins in one of the old bowling alley there.

In March 1959, at the age of 19 years, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He completed basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas in June 1959, and later the technical school for maintenance at Chanute AFB, Illinois. Robert volunteered for his first assignment in Bitburg, Germany, where he worked ground support for the Matador missile and was later picked for servicing the Mace missile at Site 6, Hahn AFB. During his first tour in Germany, Robert took advantage of inter-service sports opportunities such as participating in weightlifting competitions and playing for the Hahn Hawks football team. In Dec 1963 he married Inge Simon at Gerolstein, Germany and his daughter Johanna was born there the following year.

After a brief break in service, Robert rejoined the USAF, serving initially at Westover AFB, MA where his second child John Valenti was born in 1965, and in a follow-on assignment at Hickham AFB, Hawaii, where his third child Mark Valenti was born in 1967.

In August 1969, Robert was assigned to Dyess AFB, Texas, where his family stayed during his 13 month deployment to Vietnam that began in December 1969. Stationed at Da Nang Air Base, Robert recalled dropping weight from 235 pds to 185 pds, due to his physical fitness regimen and industriousness in working extra jobs such as being a nightshift cashier at the base NCO club. In recounting his wartime experiences, Robert often told about having access to an M-16 without ammunition, watching damaged F-4 jets making crash landings, and the "show" put on by the AC-130 Specter gunships firing on targets around the base at night.

Upon returning from Vietnam, Robert requested and was assigned back in Germany where he worked at the German Air Base at Erding and later back at Bitburg. In 1977, Robert returned CONUS at Littlerock, Ark., and after a two year tour, he drove with the family across the country to Sacramento, CA. After a 27 year career, Master Sgt. Robert Valenti retired from the USAF in 1985 at Mather AFB. He continued to work in various capacities as both a contractor and civil servant, servicing aircraft and support equipment operations at McClellan, Travis and Mather AFB's.

On September 12, 1992 at Maui, Hawaii, Robert married Barbara Edin, and they spent the next 17 years living together in the Sacramento area. In October 2009, Robert and Barbara moved to Fresno, CA where Robert worked as driver for Cardinal Health, eventually retiring for good in October 2012.

Robert is survived by his wife Barbara, two sons, John J. (Denise) Valenti of Santa Barbara and Mark Valenti of Sacramento, CA; five grandchildren: Nikolas, Logan, Mason (Caitlyn), Tye, and Ayden (Lillie) Valenti; and one great-grand daughter: Korra Valenti. He also leaves a special nephew Michael Plaumann-Ewerdwalbesloh, nieces Martina and Kerstin, and step children of Eric Edin (Beatrice) of Stuttgart, Germany, Sean (Linda) Edin of Fresno, and Cathi Garcia of Sacramento. He was predeceased by his daughter, Johanna A. Valenti in 2022.

Graveside service will be held at 12:00 pm on Monday, December 9th, 2024 at Lakewood Memorial Park, 900 Santa Fe Ave., Hughson, CA. Reception following, location to be announced.