, 87, son of the late Frederick and Emeline Valentine, passed away on Thursday, March 15, 2007, following an extended illness. Bob was born September 28, 1919 at St. Albans (Queens), New York. After graduating from Jamaica High School (in Jamaica, Queens, NY), he attended Oswego (NY) State Teacher’s College, graduating in 1941 with a degree in Industrial Arts.
At that time, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet. During World War II, he commanded North American B-25B Mitchell bombers with the 319th Reconnaissance Squadron against German U-boats in the northwestern Atlantic, as well as Consolidated B-24H Liberator bombers against Japanese land and sea targets throughout the Central Pacific with the 7th Air Force. He achieved the rank of captain and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters, the American Defense Service Medal with bronze star, the American Campaign Medal with bronze star, the Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars, and the World War II Victory Medal.
After the military, he flew as an airline pilot for 5 years with American Export Airlines and American Overseas Airlines and 29 years with Pan American World Airways. While with Pan Am, Bob was a celestial navigator, copilot, flight instructor, check-pilot and captain, flying such legendary aircraft as the Douglas DC-4, Lockheed Constellation, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, DC-6, DC-7, Boeing 707 and Boeing 747 before reaching mandatory retirement at age 60 in 1979.
Bob lived for many years at Huntington, Long Island, New York, where he was an active member of the Harbor Boating Club. Bob was the founder of the Clipper Pioneers, an organization of retired pilots of Pan American Airways. He belonged to the Airline Pilots Association, the International Order of Characters and the Circumnavigators Club, and energetically supported Las Rancheras Republican Women and the Assistance League of Phoenix.
Bob is survived by his wife of nearly 15 years, Jimmie Hall Valentine of Phoenix; his brother, William (Marion) Valentine of Florida; his sister, Mildred (Robert) Painter of Connecticut; his children, Robert (Nancy) Valentine of Maryland, JoAnne (Leigh) Powell of New York, and T erry V alentine of Phoenix; his grandchildren, Daniel (Marisa) Valentine, Margaret (Brian) Tallman, Theresa (Scott) Clark, Blair (Joseph) Powell, and Reid Powell; and his great-grandchildren, Madeline Tallman, James Tallman, and Hazel Bache. Bob is predeceased by his granddaughter, Kathryn Mildred (Kate) Valentine; his previous wife, Virginia Roiz Valentine; and his brother, Frederick J. Valentine, Jr.
Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ. Contributions may be made to the Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85014-5656. (Published in The Arizona Republic at Phoenix on March 18, 2007.)
(Among other contributions to Woodbury over many years, Bob Valentine constructed the kindergarten playhouse that was in use there for over twenty years. — Terry Valentine ’61)