Bob was born May 13,1938, in NYC. His father was a plumber for the US government, and the family was relocated often. His late parents were Frank Jacob Valois and Harriet LaCroix Valois.
Bob enlisted in the US Navy after high school. After the service, he graduated from the University of Miami and worked as a Field Examiner at the National Labor Relations Board Region 11 in Winston-Salem. He and his wife, Ruth Skacil Valois, continued to live there when Bob went to Wake Forest Law School.
After law school, Bob was hired by the Raleigh law firm of Maupin, Taylor & Ellis to start a labor law practice. Bob built an impressive team, with a practice encompassing wide areas of management representation in labor and employment law.
Bob was known as a formidable opponent with a keen ability to invent surprising ways to gain advantages for clients. He was a mentor for many lawyers that he hired, and he was unselfish in teaching skills and introducing clients to other lawyers in the firm.
Bob was dedicated to the firm and helped found a lasting, unique culture that prevailed in the office, making it a great place to work for a number of years. He did quiet favors for others. He invited the entire staff and their spouses to his home for a party. Caution was advised for anyone who tried to outmatch Bob’s stubbornness or unexpected sense of humor. He strategically gave others the “opportunity” to straighten his files or rewrite his work. When the firm moved to a different building, Bob got the moving destination stickers for the new office of one of his partners and put the stickers on trashcans and junk in the halls, thus filling the partner’s office.
Bob was chair of the labor department at the firm and later became managing partner. He was well-suited to handle people with strong personalities and opinions, and he never held grudges after disagreements; he was a wonderful friend. He retired from Maupin, Taylor & Ellis just before the firm was acquired by another firm.
Bob loved his family, and they were very close. He was generous and proud of them. His mother lived with Bob, Ruth, and their children longer than she lived anywhere else in her life. He left a legacy of great-grandchildren from his daughter’s twin girls. He was proud of them all.
Bob and Ruth spent much of their spare time at Holden Beach. The family worked to improve the house over the years. Ruth was the love of his life. He named his boat after her and often referred to her as “dear, sweet Ruth.” Ruth matched him in directness. He once laughed that he had complained about having no clean towels in the bathroom and Ruth had “introduced” him to the linen closet. Ruth never left his side as his health began to fail in the last years of his life.
Bob’s hobby was genealogy. He traced his family to the 1600s. He traveled in Europe to meet cousins and gather records of ancestors’ lives.
Bob is survived by his wife, Ruth; daughter Marguerite Valois Denton (James); son Robbie; grandchildren Jennifer Denton Dotter (Andy); and Julie Denton Smith (Alex); great-grandchildren Aiden Easton Dotter and Tessa Christine Smith; and brothers Ned and Frank.
A Memorial Service will be held Friday, September 27, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church, 112 S. Salisbury St, Raleigh, at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to your local hospice or First Presbyterian Church.
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