Maxine Marion Valdez

On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Maxine Valdez of Riverside—devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—passed away in her home at the age of 92. Maxine Marion Clemmer was born in Edmonton, Canada on November 2, 1930, to Elwin George and Alice Irene (Clutter) Clemmer. In 1936 the family relocated to the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles. Maxine would call Southern California home for the rest of her life.

She was married to Louis Valdez from 1953 to 1962. The two had three children together: Daniel, David, and Victoria. In 1963 Maxine and the children moved to Riverside. She attended classes at UCR while providing for the family as a single mother. In 1969 she finished her education and began teaching at Riverside’s La Sierra High School. She’d go on to teach Spanish for over 25 years before retiring in 1996.

Maxine was always drawn to exploration and adventure. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of her involvement with the Woodcraft Rangers outdoor education program. During her years at East Los Angeles Junior College, she’d take multiple camping trips to Mexico, and spent a year studying Spanish in Mexico City. In 1980, at the age of 49, she quit her teaching job to serve in the Peace Corps, teaching English at a girls’ secondary school in a small Kenyan village. It would become one of the defining experiences of her life, and she’d return to Africa many times over the next two decades. During her fifties and sixties, she’d spend school breaks traveling the world, often with a photography tour group.

Maxine was an avid photographer—nearly a professional—and dedicated her life to documenting the world around her. She was committed to sharing her story and the stories of those she loved, and spent much of her retirement writing. Her kitchen table was often covered with folders of historical research, boxes of photos, and half-finished short stories. In 2004 she self-published a book chronicling her time in the Peace Corp titled "Me Here in Kenya, I Am Fine".

Maxine adored animals, and had been known to take in abandoned cats. She loved curling up with a good book, or turning on her favorite Korean soap operas. In her later years, she cherished time spent with family, and was seldom seen without a camera around her neck. She was usually pointing it at one of her cats or her grandchildren.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Dr. Elwin (Al) Clemmer, and her daughter-in-law, Diane Valdez. She is survived by her three children, Dan Valdez of San Jacinto, David & Linda Valdez of Vancouver, Canada, and Vickie Valdez of Riverside; her three grandchildren, Danny Valdez & Rochelle Gold, Lissa & Nick Fox, and Emily Valdez; and her four great-grandchildren, Abigale, Devynn, Ella & Ruby.