|
Funeral for Valerie Jeanne King Sands, 55, of San Jose, Calif, will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Roselawn Funeral Home with the Rev. Gayle P. Norman officiating. Burial will be in Decatur City Cemetery.
Mrs. Sands died Wednesday, November 6, 1996, in San Jose. She was born July 28, 1941, in Decatur to Thomas and Bertha Sue Edwards King.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Sands; one daughter, Melissa Dunn of Jonesboro, Ga; her mother, Sue Edwards King of Huntsville; and one brother, Frederick A. King of Huntsville.
|
Bob Thomas
Pattie Craig Jett
Valerie was a very sweet and caring person.She had the sweetest smile. We had typing and shorthand together. Later alot of us girls went to Calhoun or what we call it now. We all took a business course. I went to her visitation. Seems like she was living in Cal. at the time of her death and she had married but was single at the time of her death. I believe she had one daughter. It was alot of the classmates there.
Bob Thomas
Bob Agee::
What is it about that extraordinary connection when we associate people, places or things with music? When I hear Slim Harpo‘s, “I’m a King Bee”, Val comes to mind. Yes, Valerie introduced me to that tune and others that her father played on a nearby radio station. He was one of the premier disc jockeys of the area, but not so popular with the main stream during that time, and in that place.
One of the things I remember most about Valerie was that kind-of red hair she had. The way she wore it seemed colossal and made my neck ache and sweat just thinking of having to hold it up all day long. Then, there was that sing-song raspy voice she spoke in. It caused a gravitating pull, and reeled me into whatever Val wanted to chit chat about. And, weren’t those eyes a hazy blue? All the more to enchant you.
The last time I saw Valerie was at the 1989 Class Reunion. If I remember correctly, she flew in from California and was on a tight time schedule. I believe it was after our big dinner she, Buddy Payne’s wife, a few more, and I revisited the ‘Chicken Shack’. It was one of our old juke joint haunts just on the other side of the Madison county line, down near the river. Valerie and I danced away what was left of the night, and some of the morning, too. Then she flew off, back to California.
When Linda Clark Boyd informed me Valerie had left us mortals behind, a sad Slim Harpo song came to my mind: “Raining in My Heart”. I’m supposing as one goes about their daily routine in the after life, from time to time, they check in and keep tabs on those they have enjoyed in this life. Also, I would have to assume that multi-tasking is the way things are done in the ether. I know if the opportunity presented itself where many old friends could be visited at the same time, the presence of the departed ones would achieve several goals at once. Thus, I’ll be looking for Valerie during this Class Reunion in some form or fashion.
Bob Agee
Posted 10.20.08
Richard Allen
I did not know Valerie well, but I have one vivid memory of her. In the olden days the Grammer Schools staged an annual pageant near the end of the school year, at least Gordon-Bibb did. I was in the Glee Club. We presented the pageant at the DHS auditorium which was a big deal for 6th graders.
Valerie performed a solo dance, a Mexican Hat dance to the tune La Cucaracha, and it brought the house down. I do not remember if we sang it of if they had canned music. but it was a wonderful performance.
The songs I remember us singing are "Down in Mexico it's sunny, days are warm and sweet as honey...." The song of the Good Neighbor, and Cielito lindo. Sammy Stone was the only member of the 6th grade Glee club who was invited to sing with the high school glee club in the 7th Grade as I remember it. RFA
Mary Jean Fennell (Williams)
Valerie was one of the sweetest girls I knew back then. She was always complimentary. I can still hear her low raspy voice...perhaps she inherited that voice from her Dad, "Sir Thomas". Hope you who remember his radio show and his style of speaking. Love you, Valerie King! You will always be indelible in my memory!
Bob Thomas