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Dec. 22, 1926 – Nov. 25, 2021

NATCHEZ – Services for Robert Baker Valentine, 94, who died Nov. 25, 2021, will be held Friday, Dec. 3, with visitation at 11:30 a.m. and service at 1 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church with Rev. Ken Ritter officiating.   Burial will follow at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird funeral Hall.

He was born Dec. 22, 1926, the son of Wallace and Lillian Valentine.  He graduated from St. Joseph School, in Natchez and was a lifelong communicant of Trinity Episcopal Church.

He served in the Army at Fort Knox until World War II ended in 1945.

“R.B.” married the love of his life, Anne Louise Wilson, in Aug. 1948.  They were two months shy of a 60th anniversary before her death, in 2008.  He studied at Ole Miss.  He worked for the Russell Company for eight years followed by a career as an accountant at Johns-Manville for 28 years.

He loved being a Natchezian.  He had an amazing memory, and his wealth of knowledge about Natchez, Lake St. John and Church Hill will be missed.  He loved nothing better than being on Lake St. John with his family and friends.

He was a member of the Natchez Jaycees, the Natchez Investment Group.  He was also a lifetime member of Trinity Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry and a Santa Clause Committee member since 1955.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wallace and Lillian Valentine; his wife, Anne Louise Wilson Valentine and his son, Gary Robert Valentine.

Survivors are his daughter, Roanne Tipton and husband, Mark of Mandeville, Louisiana; his grandsons, Russell and Alan, of Denver, Colorado, and Conner of New Orleans; his brother-in-law, Hall Wilson and wife, Celia of Oxford, Mississippi along with nieces, Louise O’Ferrall Card and husband, Jimmy of St. Francisville, Cynthia Wilson Gould and husband, Spencer of Newburg Park, California, Amanda Wilson of Clinton, Mississippi and a nephew, Larry O’Ferrall of St. Francisville, Louisiana.

Pallbearers will be Russell Tipton, Alan Tipton, Conner Tipton, Anthony Tuccio, Gerry Winters, and Walter Heard, III.

Honorary pallbearers will be Hall Wilson, Bruce Kuehnle, Gene Laird, and the Coffee Club guys – Blake Wadsworth, Murphy Simon, Marvin McDonald, Fleet Jones, and Bubba Spell.

The family would like to express special thanks to Augustine Floyd for the many years of caring service and also, Tammy Ridley and caregivers, Jackie, Trumaine, Lillian, Orelia, and Pat.

In lieu of Flowers, memorials may be made to the Adams County Humane Society, Trinity Episcopal Church, Christ Episcopal Church in Church Hill or the Natchez Children’s Christmas Tree Fund in care of the Santa Claus Committee, P.O. Box 861, Natchez, MS 39121.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at lairdfh.com.