Joseph Michael Valentine

Joseph Michael Valentine passed away at his home in Cream Ridge, NJ on December 2, 2013, after a courageous six year battle with cancer, surrounded by family and friends. Born on July 12, 1969 in Montclair, he was raised in Livingston and graduated in 1987 from Livingston High School, having earned varsity letters in Football, Wrestling and Baseball. He earned a degree in Sports Management from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, a teaching degree from Kean College, a Master's degree from Montclair State University, and continued his education to earn his Masters +30.

Joe met his wife, Heidi, at his first teaching position, at Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison. Joe taught Physical Education and Heidi, Kindergarten. After getting married on July 21, 2000, they lived in Howell and South Amboy before settling in Cream Ridge to raise their two boys, Caden & Jackson. Joe later left Wardlaw-Hartridge to work as a Physical Education teacher at Deerfield School in Millburn for 10 years before retiring in 2009. He also coached many sports including soccer at Wardlaw-Hartridge School, baseball and football at Newark Academy, Livingston, girls' golf at Mount Saint Dominick School, West Caldwell, and wrestling, football and girls' golf in Millburn.
After retiring due to his health, Joe followed his passion of photography and began his own business, Valentine Photos. Joe spent many hours behind the camera, capturing memories, which are now and have always been priceless. An avid golfer, just a few weeks before his death, he had a chance to play at Pine Valley Golf Club. "Not too bad to say the last course you ever played was the #1 ranked course in the world," he wrote to friends.

Joe is survived by his devoted wife, Heidi Rufner Valentine; adoring sons, Caden Benjamin and Jackson Joseph; parents, Rose and Rudy Valentine, of Long Beach Island; brothers, Daniel (Robin) of Princeton Junction and Stephen (Daphne) of Liverpool, NY; sister, Erika Valentine of Washington, DC; nieces and nephews, Owen, Jenna, Griffin, Ryan and Olivia; mother and father in-law, Rita and Ronald Rufner of Freehold; sister-in-law, Donna Rufner; brother-in-law, Christian Rufner; uncle and aunt, Richard and Cynthia Pacharz of Saranac Lake, NY; cousins, Abraham and Austin Pacharz of Colorado and an amazing group of loyal, loving friends. Many thanks to Drs. David Siegel, Scott Rowley and Michele Donato of Hackensack University Medical Center for the loving care they gave him in his fight against multiple myeloma.

Viewing hours will be held from 2–4 PM and again 7–9 PM on Thursday, December 5th at Peppler Funeral Home, 114 South Main Street, Allentown, NJ 08501. A Funeral Service will take place 11AM Friday, December 6th at the Allentown Presbyterian Church, 20 High St., Allentown, NJ. Burial will follow at Emleys Hill Methodist Episcopal Churchyard, 69 Emleys Hill Road, Cream Ridge, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Caden and Jackson Valentine Fund c/o Larry Garb, 5 Chapel Court, Towaco, NJ 07082.