LT. COLONEL JOEL VALENTINE USAF, RETIRED

FALK
LT. COLONEL JOEL VALENTINE, USAF, RETIRED
82, of Medford, NJ, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 1, 2020, at Artis Senior Living of Evesham.
Born in Yankton, S. Dakota, Joel resided in Medford since 1985.
During his military service as a flight navigator in both the C-5 Galaxy and C-141 Starlifter aircraft, Lt. Col. Falk was stationed at Dover AFB, DE; Hickam AFB, HI; Travis AFB, CA and McGuire AFB, NJ and participated in both the Vietnam and Gulf Wars.
Mr. Falk was on the 1954 South Dakota all-state basketball team and continued playing at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where he earned a B.S. in Geology before attending officer training school in the USAF. The Colonel was a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan and is often remembered wearing his well-worn #9 Tommy Kramer jersey.
Husband of the late Susan Violet Falk; he is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Jane C. and Curtis Elworthy of Colorado; his son and daughter-in-law, Joel T. and Diane Falk of New Jersey; four grand-children, Travis and Gregory Falk, Drake and Reid Elworthy; two nephews Bob and Tom Pratt, and niece Jane Hagstrom all of Minnesota.
Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family.
Contributions may be made in Joel's memory to the Dakota Indian Foundation, 209 N. Main St., P.O. Box 340, Chamberlain, SD 57325.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of THE MATHIS FUNERAL HOME, Medford, NJ.