Valerie Joan Garcia

Valerie Garcia, 77, died October 13, 2012 at her home in Sequim, surrounded by family and friends, after a courageous two-year battle against ovarian cancer.

Valerie was born April 6, 1935 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She was one of four children of Francis Patrick Henry and Thyra Joyce (Kahler) Henry. In the mid-1950s, she became a United States citizen and located to the Sea-Tac area of Seattle. She graduated from Foster High School and attended Highline Community College where she studied psychology. She and her first husband raised three boys.

Valerie worked for the Boeing Airplane Company from 1979 until her retirement in 1995. While at Boeing, she met Richard Garcia. The two were married in 1985.

After they retired, Valerie and Richard decided to make their home in Sequim, where they eventually built their dream home in the Sun Meadows neighborhood. Valerie loved gardening and was a member of the landscape committee in Sun Meadows. Her garden was the envy of her neighbors and hardly a day went by without Valerie pruning, planting or puttering in the yard.

She also volunteered for several years at the Dungeness Spit, keeping it beautiful and acting as a guide tour for visitors. She loved animals, especially poodles. She was a kind and dear friend to many people in the Sequim area.

Preceded in death by her parents and two sisters.

She is survived by her husband, Richard, Sequim; her three sons, Larry Hedberg, Jr. (Dela), Los Angeles, Calif., Ross Hedberg (Sheri), Port Angeles, Wash., and David Hedberg, Auburn, Wash.; stepsons, Monte Garcia (Heather), Kent, Wash., and Travis Garcia, Kent, Wash.; a brother-in-law, half-brother, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will take place at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, October 27, 2012, at Sequim Valley Funeral Chapel.

Although Valerie loved flowers, her wishes were that donations be made to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, 540 E. 8th St., Port Angeles, WA 98362, or the Humane Society of Clallam County, 2105 U.S. 101, Port Angeles, WA 98363.

Arrangements in care Sequim Valley Funeral Chapel, 108 W. Alder St., Sequim, WA 98382.

E pluribus unum – one among many