Desiree Valentin
Desiree Valentin
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Desiree Valentin Obituary
Our precious Desiree Valentin, 38, was reborn on the evening of Friday, January 6, 2023 at her home in Centerville, Utah. She passed due to the devastating effects of esophageal cancer. We miss you honey. We will always visualize your smile that took our breath away, matched by your beautiful personality.
Desiree was born on Saturday, February 26, 1984 in Salt Lake City, Utah to loving parents Luanne Nelson Valentin and Antonio Valentin. The family moved to Las Vegas when Desi was one year old so she could be closer to her beloved Grandma and Grandpa Nelson who retired to southern Utah. No one could make Grandpa laugh harder than Desiree as she was learning to talk. She started school in Las Vegas and the family later moved to Centerville, Utah where Desi attended Reading Elementary, Centerville Junior and graduated from Viewmont High School. She grew up in a neighborhood filled with fun and life-long friends. She loved participating in pint-sized cheerleading and taekwondo classes and as she grew older, in drama, music, singing, and guitar. She was a natural. She was the best big sister to little Sharae, who always wanted to be just like her beautiful big sister. Desi taught Sharae all she knows. These two sisters loved to attend concerts together and brought down many a house, dancing the night away. She made us a "ski family", starting at age 5, and she skied most resorts in northern Utah. She skied like the dream-angel that she is.
She worked as a real estate agent, public relations professional, dental assistant, and office administrator. She graduated from Stringham Real Estate School, earning her real estate license at the tender age of 19. She attended Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology, where she won a competition that earned her a spot to compete at the next level. Her personality and beauty earned her a finalist spot on "The Bachelor" and she flew to Rome to be in the TV series featuring a prince.
Showing her gusto for life, she worked during her illness. When the chemo was successfully beating back the tumors, she decided she wanted to get back into the mainstream of life and bravely interviewed for a job as a part-time receptionist. She was completely honest about her limitations, and of course, they fell in love with her, hired her and within a short time she was an office favorite. She had so many challenges and she turned and faced them head-on. None of us will ever know or understand how much she suffered and how hard she tried. She helped and coached many people through life's challenges, and her innate goodness made everyone she spoke with feel seen and heard.
Our sleeping beauty Desiree is survived by her mother Luanne Nelson Valentin Hudson, father Antonio Valentin, sister Sharae Valentin Hammond (Derek Hammond), nephews Harlem and Hendrix Hammond, and a large family of loving aunts, uncles and cousins. Desiree's boyfriend Brady Hart and his wonderful son Julian and two kitties were constant supporters before and throughout her illness. We are so grateful for Brady and his sister Kassie for their loving companionship to Desi. She is proceeded in death by her grandparents, Dorothy and Guy Nelson, Aunt Gylene Nelson, Aunt Jane Nelson, Grandpa Gus Macias, Uncle Rick Macias, and other aunts, uncles and grandparents who are now the lucky ones because Desi is in their presence.
Our thanks to the medical professionals, home nurses and other ministering angels from Huntsman Cancer Hospital and University of Utah Hospital. Desiree received the best health care on the planet. Adversity reveals character and Desiree was a true warrior in her health battle, greeting her doctors and nurses with smiles, patience, big green eyes, and questions about how their day was going. She usually had them laughing as they poked her delicate body.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 12 noon on Friday, January 20, 2023 at Genesis Project, 3525 Riverdale Road in Ogden, Utah, under the care of Russon Mortuary. Interment will follow at the Clinton City cemetery 750 West 800 North, Clinton Utah.
Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page using the following link: https://www.facebook.com/people/Russon-Mortuary-Crematory/100057447129518/ . The live stream will also be posted below.
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Gaumond Family
January 13, 2023
The Gaumond family sends their deepest condolences we pray that God wraps his comforting arms around all family and friends during this difficult time John & Pauline
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Eko Horsley
January 12, 2023
She was always was so positive and no matter how lost mad or wanted to give up she always made me feel better just to see her smiling face it instantly made me happy
She will always be the bright light for me no matter how dark it get I love you Desi and
Ashley Ostergaard
January 12, 2023
I still can´t believe that you´re gone. I was so hopeful that I´d get to see you one last time before you had to leave. I needed one last hug from my Desi.
I have so many memories of you. We had the best childhood and were part of an inseparable group of friends. From sunup until sundown we were all always together. Skating every weekend, riding bikes to Albertsons, lagoon, camping, sleepovers on the trampoline, the fair, cabin trips, Vegas, haunted houses...So many good memories!
When we got older the memories continued...Sneaking out of my dad´s window with you parked in your truck down the street waiting for me. Skipping out on our CNA classes. Keeping me company when I worked the graveyard shift and got scared. So many concerts with you! Remember hoobastank downtown? Ha, what were we thinking liking them?!?! But oh so fun! Sitting in my car just listening to music, because what better place then in the car. And our favorite, summer hoodie weather!
You were my extrovert. I was always the shy quiet kid and needed someone outgoing to open up. You were that for me. I worried to the point of making myself sick and you´d bring me back down, always laughing telling me I was overreacting and making things into a bigger deal then they were, and I was.
You always had a way of making everyone feel special. Greetings from you were never Hi. Instead it was, Hey beautiful, Hi sexy lady, or Hello gorgeous! But never Hi.
One memory that stands out for me is this one:
We were in Junior High and there was a movie that had come out called The Craft. My god, we were obsessed! And I´ll be damned if we weren´t gonna be witches just like the movie. I had bought a how to book for witches, cause that´s the type of person I was. We planned to go up in the mountains to do some magic. Because witching requires Mountains. We went up to the centerville foothills and started a fire. Still not sure how we started a fire, we weren´t very savvy. You had a crush on Brett, and I won´t say who mine was (glad that never panned out). Anyway, we were going to do a spell that would tell us if they liked us back so we´d know if we should ask them to hang out. You were excited and just wanted to get going. I had my book and was so cautious saying we have to do this just right or we will be haunted by spirits forever. I was reading as we went while you were casting your magic. I was so scared about the whole thing and about being in the mountains, really we were probably 100 feet from someone´s backyard. You were laughing nonstop having the best time. I´d read a line and you´d do the steps. Well...nothing happened. We put out the fire and started walking back. As we were walking back, the fire restarted and was blazing! We looked at each other panic in our eyes, pale as ghosts and screamed. I don´t think we´ve ever run as fast. We darted back home without putting the fire out. I´m glad we didn´t light the mountain on fire. Once home you could not stop laughing and I was still shaking. I thought for sure we did something wrong and we were going to be haunted for the rest of our lives. I had this weird fear of a ghost touching my feet at night. We always talked daily and for a few weeks after that every time we talked we´d ask the other "did you get haunted last night, anything weird happen?" And you´d laugh and ask me if my feet got tickled in the night. I still remember once we got home from that you saying Well, I guess we´re not witches what else should we do.
That´s how you were. You treated life as an adventure and if something didn´t work out, it didn´t phase you. You were onto the next big adventure.
Looking back at my last message from you, you ended it with: Childhood friends for life, we´re practically family! I love you dearly. This is true, you were like a sister to me. I wish you didn´t have to leave us so soon. I love you and will miss you. Thank you for all the wonderful memories.
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