Brian J. Valley, age 84, of Orland Park, formerly of the Quad Cities, passed away May 25, 2022. Son of the late James and Bernice Valley. Beloved husband of Mary Ann (Glaser) Valley. Father of Cheryl (Bob) Rooker, Matthew Valley, David (Lisa) Valley, Leslie Valley and Brian P. (Angie) Valley. Cherished grandfather of Bobby, and the late Jason Rooker, and Sean, Daniel, Morgan, Lauren and Ian Valley. Great-grandfather of Nathan, Kara and Jason Rooker. Dearest brother of Sharon (late Rex) Scranton, Nancy (late Bill) Jennings, Donna (Bob) McMurray, Dave (Vicki) Valley, Michael (Cindi) Valley, and the late Dan Valley. Fond uncle to many nieces and nephews. Good friend of Bill W.
Brian James Valley goes to his eternal rest after leading a full and eventful life.
In his teenage years, Brian served as the man of the house. Their father chose to be absent from their day to day lives. Brian stepped in and turned over his carpenter apprentice paycheck to keep the family together.
Brian was an Army Veteran serving as a Radio Operator in Korea.
In the Quad Cities Brian made high end cabinets and homes for discerning clients. In his twenties, his energy and enthusiasm for the job was remarkable. One summer, when his younger brother worked for him, he assigned him the job of digging 12 inches of foundation footings in hard clay around the house he was building. After 7 hours, his brother was less than halfway down the first side. Brian grabbed a shovel and completed the other 3 and half sides before calling it a day.
In Chicago, Brian worked for 30 years for Alden Bennett Construction Company, as Superintendent, helping to build skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities across the Chicagoland area. The owners of Alden Bennett were impressed with Brian’s efforts and considered him family. We are so grateful for the amazing way the Alden family provided for him in his greatest time of need.
Brian and his wife, Mary Ann, lived a remarkable Christian life together and we are confident he is resting in the hand of God.
His sense of humor always enlivened family gatherings. Brian had the heart of a servant and has helped “save many souls” through his relentless commitment to AA.
Visitation is Monday, May 30, 2022, from 2pm to 7pm. Funeral Service Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 11am at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home, 15525 73rd Ave., Orland Park, IL. A live-stream of the Funeral Service will be available. Please visit Cindy's Obituary on Colonial Chapel's web-site at colonialchapel.com to view the live-stream. Committal Service, with military honors, on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 12:00 Noon at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 W. Hoff Rd., Elwood, IL 60421.
Below is a photo tribute celebrating Brian's life.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to S.E.A.K, the AA club that was a second home to Brian. Make checks payable to S.E.A.K., 2508 Collins St., Blue Island, IL 60406.