Happy Birthday Val!!!!!! I was just talking to Cindy so I know that they are getting together tonight to celebrate you.
She is really amazing Val! What a strong, strong woman she is; you would be so proud. She misses you♥️
I always loved visiting you guys, and having you tease me and laugh with me with that great laugh of yours, and call me Christine. You are forever missed!

Been thinking about you all week Dad! Hearing some of your favorites on the radio - Elton, Simon & Garfunkel brings me back… miss and love you ❤️

I miss you so much Dad.

Heavy tears and a broken heart,
Words cannot express the pain.
Memories flood and emotions start,
As I long to see you again.

The tears they fall, like raindrops pour,
A never-ending flow of grief.
I miss your smile, your laugh, your roar,
My heart, it feels beyond relief.

The days go by, but the pain remains,
A void that can never be filled.
But in my heart, your memory sustains,
And your love, it forever builds.

The laughter we shared, the moments we had,
Are treasures I'll always hold dear.
Your love for me, it was ironclad,
And I'll always feel it near.

So though the tears may fall like rain,
And my heart may feel broken apart.
I know your love will always remain,
Forever engraved in my heart.

I heard a quote the other day that really expresses how I feel about losing you sweetheart:

"My mind still talks to you. My heart still looks for you, but my soul knows you're at peace. I miss you every single day"

When I am cooking, gardening or just watching TV, I feel you over my shoulder. At first, it was such a crushing pain that I couldn't breathe. But now, it's a comfort to feel your presence so strongly. I know that right up until your last day we had love and laughter and that also gives me great comfort.

Happy Heavenly Birthday Mr. Val!! You are still missed so much, and you would be so proud of your Cindy. She amazes me. I know it is still not easy for her, but she attacks everyday with strength and humility and makes it the best day possible. Wish we could celebrate together, but until then, Happy Birthday!! Chris

Val,
You encouraged others to stay strong, live in the moment, and continue the journey with hope and acceptance, and I want you to know that you gave Cindy those skills and you would be so proud of her. She is so strong and your love has helped her get through this past year. She misses you; we all do.

You left in such a hurry. You told me not to worry…
You’d be in touch soon enough when you got settled in...
I can use some conversation now, tell some tales and laugh out loud. So much life has happened, I'd love to catch up on it all... If heaven had number to call.
Not a day goes by that I don’t miss you Dad. Sending love to you in heaven.

I'm still hanging in there, Val. You touched us one and all. We don't forget. Cheers, mate.

Hey Dad,
First major holiday without hearing your voice and that super amazing chuckle you would give after I said something completely inappropriate. You’ve probably already figured out that I would do that for a reaction. It worked. Boy I miss our banter. Most of all I miss you. I love you Dad.

Happy 26th Anniversary sweetheart. Love you forever.

This time of year brings me so many sweet memories of you. Thank you for 30 years of visuals, smells and music to help me through every upcoming holiday of my life.

To the Family of Val,
My heart is saddened by your pain and the passing of a good man, Val Ivey. 
I first met Val at the DDD offices in Everett, WA in 1979. He was kind, supportive and talked of his beautiful children. As time went by and we each moved out of the area, we remained distant friends.
I was especially happy when he told me he was going to marry Cynthia. 
His personal trials were turning from confusion to happiness. I can’t tell you how proud he was of each of you.
We would talk, maybe once or twice a year and catch up on as much ‘news’ as we could.
He encouraged me to be the best I could be as I was going through a rough time in my life. 
I had two young children and it was important to both of us to talk about our children and the challenges we were each going through. A good, thoughtful, caring person that I still am glad to call my forever Friend.
Please take care of each other and know that you can see him again. ~Sandy

Hey Dad, Another day passed without the ability to pick up the phone and call you. It dawned on me tonight that I never posted this on your memorial page, instead I posted it on social media. I know... Eye roll. It's definitely better served here. I miss you so very much.

August 12, 2021
Dear Dad, The wide open skies last night brought us the most incredible meteor shower in recent years. There were some very unusual light anomalies near Rainier and strange aircrafts from JBLM making twists and turns unlike anything we’ve ever seen. We also witnessed these amazing drone clusters that floated in unison while clearly communicating with one another with their blinks and shimmers. Your send off couldn’t have fallen on a better night. You should have seen it, but then again I’m not telling you something you don’t already know

Happy birthday Val. Your sweet Cindy is having a celebration for your life today, and we are so grateful to be a part of this day celebrating your incredible life!
It is going to be a bittersweet day for love, happiness, sadness, and reflection.
There will be lots of stories told today and reminiscing and laughter. We miss you Val. We miss your laughter! We lost you too soon.

Sometimes you meet a person and you just click.  You're comfortable with them like you've known them your whole life. Val and I met 34 years ago, and we were like that. We had similar values, opinions on important issues, and did not judge one another too severely.

Over the decades, Val and I shared numerous experiences at work, in our personal lives, in congratulating each other in our new marriages, in welcoming the births of Sara and Joe, in mourning the losses of close friends and relatives, in driving Route 66 and the ALCAN Highway, and numerous other thoughts, acts, and transgressions that bonded us together.

It's been said that a good friend knows all your best stories, but a best friend lives them with you. Val lived them with me.

Missing someone isn't about how long it has been since you've seen them or talked to them.  It's about the moment when you're doing something and wishing they were there with you. Val was a once-in-a-lifetime BFF.

I miss my best friend.

Val, you always had time. I will miss those times with you. Cheers, mate! 

Dan

I was both shocked and saddened to hear of Val’s passing. I enjoyed his enthusiasm and friendliness. One of the best and most heated arguments I ever had with a coworker was with Val. Once it was over we never brought it up again. It was over. Now it becomes a good memory. Val and I wondered if we ever passed like ships in the night on Vashon Island as children. For 10 years I spent my summers just down the hill from where he said he lived. I’d like to think we did.
Our condolences to Cynthia and family.

It was a combination of friendship, timing, karma and magic that brought us together. And it was friendship, respect and great love that bonded us and saw us through the trials and tribulations throughout the years. Thank you for loving me so well and giving me the strength and courage I need now. I will miss you in a million little ways for the rest of my life. Hearing 70’s music (your favorite), smelling Keri lotion, using Tabasco (never had a breakfast without it), working in the garden (one of your happy places) playing table games (you were always the score keeper), making spaghetti sauce (yours was the best) and parties and get-togethers in the backyard with friends and family. So many wonderful and happy memories.
Rest in peace my love. I will love you forever and hold you in my heart until we meet again.

I only had the good fortune to meet Val once with my aunt Shirley. He was a generous host and showed me his amazing garden. He was the sort of man that I would have loved to be friends with. I'm so sorry for your loss Sara and Shirley.

It was truly my great fortune and a blessing to have the chance to know this magnanimous gentleman. Like Cindy, he was a wise and magical sage in the form of a modern human being. As through Shirley, through Val I came to know and love everything about Washington and its principles. He fully embodied the virtues of Cascadia and served America, Washington, and his family and friends every day of his life.

From the significance of the epic 1926 Rose Bowl game between the upstart Alabama Crimson Tide and the Washington Huskies, to the works of Tesla and going back to the origins of religion and society itself, there was very little that Val did not know, understand and consider. Truly, he could be said to be the Asimov of the Puget Sound.

Val showed every type of intelligence that exists, but he reached his apotheosis when it came to emotional intelligence. He lived empathy, grace and patience and forgiveness, all of which he developed through actual lived experience, not a book or good feelings. Experiencing his anger just 1 time was more than enough. He never hesitated to stand up for his values, the truth, and what's right. He did not back down.

I will always be grateful that Val Ivey believed in me when I could barely even believe in myself. He made the time to substantively help, and he kept it as real as it can realistically be kept. Yet he always maintained hope and optimism and the joie de vivre. May his memory never be extinguished and may his descendants be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

On the night that his own sister died, Val returned to his home. He greeted me as usual. He didn't lament and his nature shined through despite being dimmed by pain. He simply poured a stiff drink, consumed that beverage, and exhibited his usual nature the next day. May we all have the strength to do the same today and any time we face grief.

May we always choose gratitude for the years we enjoyed with Val, and all that we learned through his life and character, and may we incorporate his lifestyle and teachings into all that we do.

Val Ivey sounds like the most amazing person that I never had the good fortune to meet. Cousin Sara, we are so sorry for your loss, and wish there was something we could do to make it better.
Randy and Shannon Kelsey-Knapp

Mr.Val, my friend, who always made me laugh! I adored you and I loved your sense of humor!! I loved when I came to visit and you would make us all a special drink, and then stick around and become part of the the party!
I thought you had the “greenest,” thumb ever and enjoyed watching you talk about your beautiful yard! The prettiest and most colorful in the neighborhood!!
You were always so kind to me, but I think I loved you the most for how much you loved my sister, Cindy. Thank you for that. She finally found her soul mate!
You were one of a kind and will be sorely missed!
I can just hear you now saying, “ Oh Chris.” And then laughing that great laugh of yours!
Heaven got another Angel in you Mr. Ivey. I will miss you ...God speed Val.
Love, Chris

Val - My brother-in-law, my brother, my friend. Who else can I call to discuss the absurdities and ridiculousness of life and politics with? Your hearty laugh, your bawdy sense of humor, your wisdom, your kindness - 30 years was just not enough. My one regret is that I never told you how much it meant to me to have you for a brother-in-law. I hope you knew. Those who knew you best know that you spent many years raging mightily against the dying of the light. Go gently into the new light, friend and brother. I miss you.

You will be forever missed Uncle Val. Even though the past few years I didn't get to see you as much as I would have liked, just knowing you were there for some very important moments in my life is so special to me. You were definitely mom's favorite brother and she adored you so. I know you and Lael are both together now and that brings comfort. I always admired you and I have fond memories of spending time at your house as a kid with you and my wonderful cousins. You always had great and funny stories and I can still hear your distinctive song like voice. Rest in heaven my Uncle Val

There is an empty place in my heart with Val gone, one that cannot be filled. His death was the end of an era for me, and I think of him every day. I think of conversations we had, his intelligence, his love of learning, his intellectual curiosity, his appreciation of so many beautiful things, his unique perspectives. He was also a wonderful cook and consummate host. I wish that I could talk to him again - but it is not to be.

We helped each other through this mystery of life and worked to forge and maintain a loving partnership amongst the four of us, Val, Cindy, Bob, and I, to support Sara, the daughter we raised together. It was an adventure of 30 years and we truly became one loving family, each filling gaps for the other, looking beyond each other’s faults to the good and pure essence of each. And I think that we each became a better person for it.

When Sara was in early grade school, we were startled and pleased to hear that families and staff at the school looked to us to see how a family with two sets of parents can unite and live in harmony. We were not perfect certainly, but made a conscious choice for good at each turn in the road to move toward love and understanding and to move away from pettiness, move away from the need to be right, and move away from the need for transactional equity. We worked very hard to make things work, but we were also lucky in terms of a fortunate chemistry amongst us that facilitated our success. I truly believe, and wish I had understood sooner in life that love is not just a feeling, but a choice of how to live your life each and every day.

The five of us celebrated holidays together, got together for meals, outings, game-nights. This was not just when Sara was growing up, but to this very day, as family. He had come through so much with his health that I was truly shocked, still am really, that he is gone. He is greatly missed.

Uncle Val, hearing of your passing brought me such sadness. Sadness that we never had that dinner at my new house that we had planned but Covid took away. Sadness that I couldn't talk to you about my Mom, your favorite sister Lael, one more time. Sadness knowing the pain of those that loved you so much. You were an amazing brother to my Mom. She always spoke and thought the world of you. I thank you and Cindy so much for always taking such good care of her. One thing that gives me peace (as Kristine mentioned) is knowing my Mom was right there to meet you. I also know that if not for you, my Mom and Dad would have never met! I will always remember you as an amazing and fascinating person who I really enjoyed spening time with. I always appreciated your gardening expertise and taking care of my weeping cherry tree. ❤ You made me feel special everytime we were together. We will miss you and we love you, Uncle Val. 

By Jeff Willis
When I first met Val 30+ years ago at work, we did not hit it off! He came into my office with his over payment team and my team had all over payments! Needless to say it did not go well. Who would have ever guessed he would become my best friend years later.
Val and I spent many hours over coffee solving the world's problems, lol. I always looked forward to Vals call for our next coffee chat. We talked about family, friends, enemies (we loved that) and where we would travel next with Cindy and Debbie.
Val was always an awesome friend for me. Trusted and loyal and a good listener but not afraid to tell me the truth. I will always love that about Val.
I had coffee with Val one week before he left us, I feel so lucky to have had that time together. I sent him a text after our coffee meeting telling him I missed him and look forward to our next coffee meeting. He sent the same message back and ended it with, soon! Soon! I read that message daily.....it makes me happy and sad. I loved Val Ivey and miss him so much.

Val, you took a part of my heart with you when you left on your journey to the other side. You were one of the most generous people I have ever known! You would drop everything to help us if needed and you had the answer to every problem. I do believe you also had a tool for everything too! I don't even remember how many times I said "just call Val, he probably has that tool" or call "Val, he probably knows how to fix that." There was not a lot you couldn't do. But mostly, you knew how to be a good friend. You were loyal, funny, adventurous and the thing I really connected to...a compassionate advocate for those struggling. The heart of a social worker. I miss you everyday and think of you everyday. Our lives and our hearts will always hold that space for you, a space no other could ever fill. I love you Val Ivey 

Dad, I'm going to miss those random text messages..."Sending hugs and kisses, love you-Dad" that was the last one I received from you!
I'm going to miss our silly disagreements - you know...I saw eagles, not osprey :-) I'm going to miss valentine flowers (thank you - Cindy), but most of all, I'm going to miss your infectious laugh. You could always bring humor to every conversation! I hope you rest easy Dad, Dad, Daddio! You are forever in my heart! Love you, Your Vally!

Dad you are the first man I ever fell in love with. I've lost my co-conspirator, my adventurer, my truth seeker. Losing you Dad, in this way, without saying goodbye is so hard. It doesn't seem real. I keep waiting for your call. Your text. Anything. Yet, nothing comes. I find solace in knowing that Aunt Lael met you at the pearly gates. You are in my heart, and my thoughts. I miss you Dad.

Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I, and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effort
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I, and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

- Henry Scott Holland