Obituary of Donald James Vallet

Donald James Vallet was born September 7, 1933 and passed away January 30, 2020 at the age of 86. Don is survived by his loving wife of 65 years Joanne; children Gary (Lynda) and Teresa (Dan) Jarmin; granddaughters Nicole (Joe) Thibeau and Natasha (Cody) Gonda; great grandchildren Hadley, Aisley, Brynley, Everley Thibeau and Ryan, Felicity Gonda; Gary and Lynda’s family; sons Todd (Tracey) Hirsch, Dan (Tara) Hirsch; grandchildren Braden, Jordan, Sydney and Ryker; other relatives and many dear friends. Don is predeceased by his son Glen. At a young age Don started driving truck and thoroughly enjoyed it. He was soon driving freight trucks across Canada and the United States. He was proud to be a truck driver, so it was more fun than work when he hauled grain at harvest time. He drove the school bus for over 25 years. The kids were in good hands. He farmed for a few years in the 70’s but with the loss of his son Glen his desire to continue farming faded. Don started curling in his 40’s. He loved every league and bonspiel he attended, which was countless. He took a lot of pride skipping his rinks and enjoyed the competition. During the last months he loved to hear about his great grandson Ryan playing in the Stettler Junior League. Don started playing pool during the winter months in Yuma. Don enjoyed his coffee shop visits. He appreciated the friendships he developed over the years. Don spent many hours watching the Blue Jays. An extra special game was when Gary took him to Seattle to watch live. Don’s greatest love and pride was for all his family. He devoted his life to support his children. Becoming a grandpa was unbelievably special for him. He loved his two granddaughters. They spent countless hours together over the years. He was their number one fan. An extra bonus in his life was becoming a great grandpa, and how those babies loved him back. They headed straight for his lap. He always took time to sit and play. His never-ending supply of chocolate and sweets was a big hit. He will be deeply missed by his family. We sincerely thank all the staff at Points West Living for going above and beyond the call of duty to care for Don. They gave him their respect, their laughter and their care. Also, they supported Don’s family on the last few days of Don’s life by making them feel at home with people who cared. We could not have been given more. To Dr. Chapman we give a heartfelt thank you. She gave us so much of her valuable time, compassion and knowledge. At Don’s request there will be a celebration of life with immediate family. Memorial donations in memory of Don may be made to the Stettler Curling Club on behalf of the juniors or to a charity of your choice. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.stettlerfuneralhome.com who are entrusted with the care and funeral arrangements. 403-742-3422