Valerie Smith

Valerie M. Smith (nee Golmini), 94, passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at Pioneer Memorial in Viborg, South Dakota. Services will be held in Long Island, New York, where she will be interred with her beloved husband, Allen, and their infant son, Keith.

Valerie was born in the Bronx, New York, on June 26, 1928. Her family, including her parents, Leo and Elizabeth Golmini; her sister, Dorothy; and brother, Jimmy; moved to New Hyde Park when she was a teenager. There she entered high school, where she met the love of her life, Allen. Allen had just returned from military service in the U.S. Navy and claimed that he chased the cute, blonde-haired Valerie until she caught him. He was, in fact, the catch of her life, as the marriage lasted for 67 years, until Allen’s death in 2015.

In 1960, Valerie and her young family moved to Tempe, Arizona, to enjoy a drier, warmer climate in, at the time, a small western town. She helped to support the family by driving a school bus and then overseeing a department that refined the electronic chips manufactured by Motorola. In her spare time, she and Allen owned horses and really enjoyed the outdoors, as the family traveled on many camping trips throughout the United States. When the small town of Tempe grew into a bustling suburb of Phoenix, she and Allen again sought out a smaller community where they could enjoy their retirement and settled in Viborg.

Valerie not only loved her quiet life in Viborg, but she also loved reading great books, listening to music by such greats as Frank Sinatra, and watching old movies and television shows, such as “Gunsmoke.” She loved the companionship of her dogs, learning and sharing details about her family ancestry, as well as sharing valuable words of wisdom with the younger generation.

Valerie dearly loved her family, including her five children: Allen (Sue) of Viborg; Marc (Patty) of Mesa, Arizona; Valerie of Hill City, South Dakota; and her sons, Shawn and Keith, who preceded her in death. Valerie also was a grandmother, great-grandmother, and a great-great-grandmother, who had an exceptional memory and could recall special details about each one of them.

Valerie was blessed with a long life, the love of her family, and the exceptional care provided by the dedicated staff at Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home and St. Croix Hospice. Her family is grateful for her full life and for the skilled and compassionate professionals, who ensured she was peacefully reunited with her much-missed husband, children, family, and friends.