Richard David Vallon, 71, of Bartlett, TN, was a loving husband, stepfather, uncle, and friend who filled those around him with feelings of positivity and good humor. Richard passed away on July 29th after a courageous battle with cancer.
He was born to Virginia Henrikson and Paul Vallon on January 9th, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is predeceased by his parents and siblings William Henrikson, Paula Vallon and Robert Vallon.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Vallon, who he married on December 19th, 1992 and two stepchildren, Heather Loney (Bryan Barnette) of Cordova, TN and James Loney (Tara Loney) of Charlotte, NC. He also leaves behind sister in-law Deborah Henrikson of Arlinton, TN, two step granddaughters, Alexa Loney and Anna Loney of Charlotte, NC and nephews Billy Henrikson (Sherryn Henrikson) of Arlington, TN, David Henrikson (Jennifer Henrikson) of Arlington, TN, and Kimberly Luckie (Walton Luckie) of Hattiesburg, MS.
After spending his early childhood years in Brookline, MA, Rich moved to Miami Beach at the age of 12 where he lived until his early 20’s. He moved to the Memphis area in 1984 after joining Federal Express. Rich worked at FedEx for 33 years in various roles, including Employee Communications, where he was highly regarded for his innovative video productions and creative approach to communicating with thousands of FedEx employees around the globe.
Despite moving from Miami Beach, Rich never lost his love of the ocean. He enjoyed spending time with his childhood friends whenever he had the chance to return to Miami. When not at the beach, Rich liked spending time with his family and friends in the Memphis area, and he enjoyed working out at the gym and watching horse and dog races.
There will be a celebration of life at 11 AM on Monday, August 5th at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation in Richard’s honor to the Bartlett Animal Shelter or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
