Richard Earl Valley

Richard E. Valley, age 97, passed away at Silverado Memory Care in Escondido the morning of March 27, 2019. He was born August 7, 1921 in Racine Wisconsin. Richard was the youngest of four children born to Joseph and Ingrid Valley. He had two brothers, Russell and Clayton and a sister, Myrle. As a young student, he enjoyed woodworking and metal works classes, which sparked his interest in how things worked. In June of 1940, after graduating from Washington Park High School in Racine, Richard joined the Navy. He was stationed in Hawaii as an Aviation Machinist Mate for most of his 6-year enlistment. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, Richard attended Indiana Technical College where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After attending a speech given by a recruiter from Allison Engine Corporation, Richard applied to and was hired by that same company. As a civilian, working in Japan during the Korean War, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom for finding a fix to correct an overheating problem in the U. S. airplane engines. His solution saved the U. S. Navy time and money, keeping the planes in the air, where they needed to be. Richard was also on the design team that created the first VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft in the mid 1950’s. Richard married Margaret Golec, a nurse, in May of 1961. Richard continued to work in the San Diego area on turboprop engines and in the aeronautics field for the Allison Division of General Motors until he retired in 1985. Richard and his wife then moved to a golf community in San Marcos where Richard enjoyed golfing, woodworking, and gardening. Richard was preceded in death by his wife and is survived by his loving nieces, Linda Young and Janet Blaich, both of South Carolina, and his devoted caregiver, Diana Shillito of Escondido. All the people that may have known Richard Valley would agree that he was a soft-spoken, humble man. Only his nieces saw the witty, humorous, and strategic side of Richard when they played Rummy in the evenings, after supper. Richard will be cremated and entombed next to his wife at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on a date yet to be announced.