Phillip P. Valley

Phillip P. Valley, 56, of Crowley, a longtime laboratory director at John Peter Smith Hospital, died Tuesday, July 20, 2010, surrounded by his loving family following a long and valiant struggle. Memorial service: 3 p.m. Friday in Mountain Valley Funeral Home Chapel, 3407 SW Wilshire Blvd., Joshua. A reception will follow at the Valley Home, 5125 Azul Lane, Crowley. Memorials: The Valley-Reams family prefers no flowers. In Phil's honor, please send a gift in memory of Phillip P. Valley to the local office of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Mallick Tower, 101 Summit Ave., Suite 204, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. Born in Wolfeboro, N.H., on Aug. 19, 1953, Phil was a resident of the Fort Worth area, most recently Crowley, for the past 35 years. He was a 1971 graduate of Kingswood Regional High School, Wolfeboro, N.H., and received a bachelor of science degree in medical technology from North Texas State University in 1981. Phil received his master of business administration degree in health services from the University of Dallas in 1991. He joined the staff of John Peter Smith Hospital as a bench lab tech and rose to director of the lab, a position he held until shortly before his death. Although confined to a wheelchair for the past 10 years, Phil continued to work at JPS and was able to take leisure trips to such places as the Grand Canyon, Alaska, Hawaii and Jamaica, where he fulfilled his dream of accompanying his daughter down the aisle at her March 2010 wedding. Phil was a man of unparalleled determination and courage who inspired others beyond their imagined capabilities and faced his own disease with dignity and grace. He loved to tell a good story as much as hearing one; appreciated baseball and a beer as much as fine food and a glass of wine; and was an intellectually curious man with a brilliant mind and sardonic wit. But most of all, he greatly appreciated his loving family, his friends and the comfort of gentle sunshine on his peaceful patio. He was predeceased by his father, Henry P. "Joe" Valley; mother, Margaret A. Valley; and mother-in-law, Eleanor R. Schmigle. Survivors: His devoted wife of 35 years, Diane Schmigle Valley; beloved daughter, Jessica Valley Reams and son-in-law of four months, Jason Reams; sister, Joan "Sis" Dagnino of Las Vegas; in-laws, Charles and Kathy Schmigle of York, Maine, and William and Rose Schmigle of Naples, Fla.; father-in-law, William A. Schmigle of Portsmouth, N.H.; Eric and Sean Schmigle; nephews; and many special friends and neighbors, co-workers, and the critical care unit staff at Plaza Medical Center Fort Worth.