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Marvin Bell Valentine, age 86, of Greenville, passed away Tuesday, October 4, 2016 in the emergency room at Spectrum Health-United Hospital, Greenville. The son of Melvin William & Bessie May (Johns) Valentine, he was born on December 10, 1929 in Mansfield, Louisiana.
A proud United States Marine, Marv attained the rank of Sergeant and was a decorated veteran of the Korean War. While serving in the Marine Corps he fell in love with a fellow Marine, Alice Justine Sullwold, and they were married on October 7, 1953 at the U.S. Navy Submarine Base Chapel at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After both Justine & Marv were discharged, they made their home in Mt. Clemens where Marv learned the tool and die trade, working with his father-in-law and later at Chrysler.
In 1969, Marv and his son, Gary, attended the Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in Idaho and soon after he was offered the job of camp director for the Boy Scouts at Camp Rotary in Clare, where he and Justine spent 31 years. He loved his staff and fellow campers and delighted in knowing the difference that he and Justine made in so many peoples lives. He was also a member of the Roseville Masonic Lodge.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Justine Valentine, on June 8, 2016. Surviving are their son and daughter-in-law, Gary & Tracy Valentine of Greenville; three granddaughters, Leslie Roberts of Greenville, Shawnna & Rene Cavazos of Pierson, and Ashley & Matt Ray of Greenville; his great grandchildren, Kaden Roberts, Kylie Roberts, Chasity Cavazos, Courtney Cavazos, Chloe Cavazos, Andrew Ray, and Molly Ray; two "adopted" sons, Gabriel Ismaio of Missouri, and Steve Grey of White Cloud; a brother, William Valentine of Texas; and special friend, Dave Patterson of Mt. Pleasant.
Visitation with the family was from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, 2016 at Christiansen Cremation & Funeral Care, 511 S. Franklin Street, Greenville.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 30, 2016 in the chapel at Camp Rotary, 3201 S. Clare Avenue, Clare, Michigan 48617. Final interment will be at Fort Custer National Cemetery near Battle Creek.
Instead of flowers, Marv would have appreciated contributions in his memory to the Camp Rotary Stewards Fund. Donations may be mailed to: Camp Rotary Stewards Fund, c/o Camp Rotary-Boy Scouts of America, 3201 S. Clare Avenue, Clare, Michigan 48617 Please make checks payable to: Camp Rotary Stewards Fund
To send a message of sympathy to the family, sign Marvin's online guest book, or to share a favorite memory, please visit: www.ChristiansenCares.com Arrangements are entrusted to Christiansen Cremation & Funeral Care, exclusive providers of Veterans Funeral Care.
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1978 I met your mother and father the first year Lake City took their sixth graders down for the Outdoor Educational Camp week in March. I am a nurse, but took a week off to be a counselor for nine years and loved what I saw in the children at the end of the week. A knew respect for each other, better self-esteem, understanding what it was like to be handicapped and all the programs developed by your dad to make these children better human beings. I have a picture of your dad taking the “pie in the face” from one of the students, a high-light for them. He was LOVED by all and GAVE his all for the young people who visited Camp Rotary, for both summer and winter programs. When your parents moved to Traverse City, I sat with them at the annual Eagle Scout and Silver Beaver Dinner. Your mom and I both were Silver Beaver Recipients. I received mine in 1977 through the Scenic Trails Council in Traverse City. We exchanged Christmas Cards and messages. I will always treasure both of them as friends and outstanding in their endeavor to make children better human beings ~~~ adults too ~~~ as my experiences at Camp Rotary were some of the most treasured memories I have working with the students.. May God Bless them both in Heaven and May God Bless you and your family. I am sorry I had not notified you sooner, but I just learned of your dad and mothers passing. Gerry Seger, Lake City, MI
I come not to praise Marv but to bury him.
Marv Valentine was a racist homophobe with a nasty temper and no real reason for the sheer tonnage of hubris he carried around. He never missed an opportunity to mock, make fun of, or embarrass a staff member or person he alone deemed unfit. He deserves credit for building Camp Rotary into the premier camp in Northern Michigan. He loses said credit for what he did in building Rotary. His phony pride made it difficult to be around him, and his temper made him insufferable. Surely it was a fit of spleen that resulted in him falling off the roof of a building at Rotary. This man murdered the giants whose shoulders he stood upon. The best thing that we can do is forget that he ever lived. People like Marv do not deserve to be remembered, and if we do remember them, it should be for the amount of credit he managed to take for the sheer quantity of work he never did.