Jacqueline Valdez Obituary (1935 - 2013)

Our beautiful, loving wife, mom, grandma and great grandma passed away Sunday, June 23, 2013, unexpectedly, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on January 22, 1935 to proud parents, Orville and Marion Nelson. She was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah along with her younger brother Robert Nelson who was a friend to the end, talking to Jackie nearly every day. She attended East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah and graduated with honors with the Class of 1953. Shortly after high school, she met the love of her life and soul mate, David Stephen Valdez. They were married on June 21, 1956. They moved to Draper, Utah and soon began to raise a family. Their first child was a son, David Stephen Valdez; and their second child was a son, Robert Scott Valdez. In 1965, mom and dad built their dream home in Murray, Utah. After their home in Murray was built, their third son, Brent Lynn Valdez was born and then they were blessed with a daughter, Teresa Michelle Valdez. Jackie worked a full time job with the Federal Bureau of Reclamation for 33 years. After retirement mom spent her time traveling the country with dad in their RV making many friends along the way. There favorite stop was Branson, Missouri. Although she loved to travel, many times trips were cut short because she missed her children and grandchildren and couldn't wait to get home to see them and catch up on everything going on in their lives. Jackie was a joy to be around and always had a beautiful smile. She was a wonderful, warm and loving person who loved to gather often with family and friends and enjoy their company. She was very unselfish with her time and always put the ones she loved first. There was never a time that any of her kids, grand kids or anyone else in her life was going through a tough physical or emotional time that they didn't get a phone call or a visit just to make sure they were ok. "We are all going to miss you more then you could ever have imagined. We will miss the funny rhyming poems you would write that would always accompany a birthday or Christmas present, and how you would smile and glow with pride as you looked around the room watching your family enjoy time together. You were taken away from us much too soon and it is hard to imagine not having you with us and hearing your voice every day, but we are grateful for the precious time we had you with us, and will forever cherish the memories you have given us. You were the center of our lives and the glue that has kept our family so close and together for all these years. We love you so much and you will be remembered and held in our hearts everyday. Love forever, your kids, grand kids, great grand kids and husband." Thank you to the emergency team at IMC for their valiant efforts to save our mom. Jackie is survived by all her children; her beautiful granddaughters, Jessica, Kelsey and Shaleena; grandsons, Tyler, Brady and Austin; great-grandchildren Damien, Kyleigh, and Skyleigh. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Chad. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, June 29th at 10:30 a.m. at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley Mortuary, 1007 West South Jordan Pkwy ( 10600 S. ), So. Jordan, Utah, 84095. There will be a viewing Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30-10:15 a.m. prior to the service. The burial immediately follows at Murray City Cemetery, 5490 S. Vine St., Murray, Utah, 84107. Funeral Home: Jenkins-Soffe South Valley Mortuary 1007 W. South Jordan Pkwy. South Jordan, UT