Loading...
Tom Valente obituary1 rxY U ru a oo'q L 1 OM VALB4TF �b �ttj ate' Former IIP-. Mayor Tom' - Valente passes away at 64 Tom Valente, former Mayer of !Inrlh Palm BeaCb, Pa"cd awwh suddenlw pn juesday. June S, at the age of 64. in Villcnte sat on the North Paan Beach Council for 16 J -ears, serving as Mayor in V*j, 4985, 3987 and 19gs. He also volunteered Couching Football, basketball. baseball and girl's softball in the Village for ()ver 30 -Tears. Torn is 5uj-%i%'cd bV his Wife, Linda_ three daughters. t;a"een �Vilson and husband 5[en'c11- of Atlanta, Gcor6 a- I)Lbbie O i€itM and ljusband Tisk of Palm Beach Garticns kri5iim-1 Valente of North Palm Beach- and two gr,utdcUdreiL Rolle aDd Casev ONCilia. Fj.Lnds and loved canes mai- call on 1'ridtkv- .tune 11- a1 Thomas L. Price Funeral Hamc: in North Palm Beach, froiu 6-9 pin. Funeral sen toes r a l l be held S:sttuda}'- June 12. at l pan at First i3aptist Chuch- locatod at 6-5 Pato; M enue in Lake PzMrk. Tn lieu o€ f1o;r'ers- the family suggests contributions to the "Orth palm Beach Girls Softball scn;IlOOtL P.O. BOX 1410 - North Palm Bez►clti FL ;3.3016 f- flBtNAAM1' T. Valente, ex -North Palm councilman By JENNIFER S&RENTRUE Pim RvA srnlT lung NORM PALM BEACH — Tom Valente didn't mina getting dirty. For more than three decades, the coach, and former nnayor of north Palrn Beach, would hit the clay and slide into first base along with his players. And when the small com- munity's population starters to buom in the earty '&K he male aure there were fields where the new youngsters could play- r- Valente died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 64 - "When he got on the council, the village was ex- panding mpldty," said Coun- oil rias Charles G'Metlia, who served on the caunc-il for three years with Valente. "He made sure the recce ation expanded along with the rest of the town," Q'Mcilia said. "He always supported all the softball and basebali teams. He wanted the village to support them not only financially but mor- ally," Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mr. VaIent:c moved to .,. South Mori - da asayeung child. He Mr.Valee graduated from Palm Beach Junior College, and most recently worked as a fxtrttiturc sales- man at Halsey & Griffith Inc - He was elected to the vil- lage council in 1979 and held the seat until 1996, when he lost his re.c.lection bid to Jo- seph TrintLgii. During the 1ta year period, he served four, one-year terms as mayor. He is credited with boasting the village's rccre- ation program by adcling several softball and baseball fields, including those at the community center- The lighten field-, are now used b the. !North Paint Beach Girls' Softball Association. a non- profit group that r- Valente helped run for several years - "He taught -o many kids," said Lisa Petersen, whose ,, WLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH HISTORIAN Share your thoughts Sfiare your condaIeitces afld memales 'ern Thomas Valente's guest book. PalmeeaahPost.com daughter was one of those children. "He got right tber'e in the middle of it. He got down and dirty, lie was just an inspiration and a mentor-" Mr. Valente 1% survived by his wife. Lancia; three daughters, Kathleen Wilson and ' her husband, Stec, of Ailwita, Debbie G'Meiha otid her husband, Tim, of Palin Beach Gardens and Kristini 'alentr of North Palin Bead; aad two grandchildren, Rof]y and Casey O'Mcilia. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.rn- Friday at The Thomas L Price Funeral Home. A fit - neral will take place .at 1 p-ni . Saturday at Hirst Baptist Church of Lake Park, 625 Park Ave,, Lake Park - Donations may be made to the North Palm Beach Girls' Softball Assuciation. P.O. Box 14103, North Palm Beach, Fla. 33408- a jenn fer_aarertuefpbpostc4m gym% Tb. EW JU PM +, zcx>q Devoted community leader dies B MirheIIe apkan SWff writer Pounterm mayor of North Palm Reach Torn Valente died suddenly last Tuesday of a hears attack, Fie was 64. Mr. Valente, who served 16 years on the Village C ouneg, is probably best known for his coriunitment to keep green space in a rapidly- expanding tovai- Ile made sure that there were rccrea fiiorjutl parks, ball fields and a community center - places for children and their families, "In 1980, when the11111age w% -as really expanding and growing, tie made it a point that the recreational facili- ties grew along with it," said [:hallus D'Melha, president pro tern and North Palm Beach �Fjlage caurIciltrlan. "A lot of times recreation doesn't keep rip with expan- sion- He "ras very f nancial- ly aware of what goes on in the village as far as budget- ing was conceived. (He was) very conservmive in filar [natter." If he iv r, conservadve with the budget, the recre- ation department did not suf Cr. "Tom worked hard to make stue the recreation depm- rnent got our nioney acenrdingly," said Clark Hodgkins, recreation direc- tor, "He just seemed to look over the recreation depart- ment, (He) pushed hard for the community centerproi- cct and ball held- (lie) always tried to do the right Ching whether it was recre- ation nr rlo t -- he was a Very ho n o rable rnan." Mr. Hodgkins also said that lir. Valente left his handprint on all of the recreation additions and renovations that the village had during his tenure - Valente served his com- mu.nity in a variety of ways. Looking arourid this vitlagc, residents can see the stand - Ing testaments of his corn- mitment to this imprme- ment of the Village, the expansion of the commtuYi- ty center, the activiv budd- ing in anchorage park, the remodeled concession stand at Osbo erne Park and the Public safety building- „ (lie %-as a) strung sup- porter of our public safety department." �Mr. O'Nleilia said. "Valente wa-anted to lie sure that all officers were cross -trained-„ " a Ie {,gas} very active, See YaIente page A2 VAiLENTE Continued from page Al very involved," said Kath- leen (Kitty) Kally, Village cleric. "He was excellent. He cared abottt the village as a whole and cared about all of its ernplovees." "He left a real posftNe mark on Nurth i'altn Bcach and the commtmi- ty--' He made areal impact on the quality of life in the Village- We're sorry that he's gone,,, said Mayor Don Noel, Mr. Valente is survived by his wife, Linda and three daughters, Mrs, i udileen Wilson and her husband Steve, of Atlanta, Mrs. Debbie O'Meilia and her husband TIM of palm Beach Gardens and Mrs, Kristina Valente of North Palm Beach. Mr. Valente had two grandchildren, Rally and Casey O'Meilia, -P49)e--I Ae-r- Z0041 17 01 I�Az id -13-04 Tom Valente Aat-*&'Md�A92� � Ball fields named to honor By Michelle Kaplan staff writer NORTH PALM tiEAC;H — The iwillage of North) Palm Beach wlil honor the late Torn Valente, who served four torms as rnayor, b naming the comniun4 bail fields after him. "Tom was it1strumental in forming the i-ittle League baseball program and then he headed rip the Girls Softball League. which is a nonprofit organization." M . Arse- nault said. "It affotded the opportu- nity for hundreds of girls to Travel around LheSouth- east region of the United States," Mr. Arse vault s aid. Mr_ Arsenault would work with Mr. Valente For eight yeats For the organi- zation. former mayor North Palm Beach girls softball pro&am and cnached for 10 years," said Kathleen "Kitty" Kelly, vil- lage clerk. "This is going to inemori- alize his corrt"tment to sports for the }Mouth of our village," said Mayor Fon Noel. "It's the leasx've can do to show our apprecia- tion for the years of dedi- cation and hard work," Gerry Arse nau It was one of matey village residents "Yoke can see wc had a int of fun," -Mr. Arsenault said. "We were cin the board together with a number of other wonderhil individu- als in the village, as coach- es, volunteer parents and other board members." The memorial rill be a permanent marker for the who wrote the council -compiex_" requesting the lull fields Mr. Arseaatdt had known be named after the man Mr. Valente since he was a primarily responsible for 12 -year-old kid, playing their existence. hall in byes[ Palm 'Beach "Ton) Valente was a com- where Mr, Valente coached missiotier at the time the Little League_ baE fields were being Ife would later work side designed," MW Arsenault by side with NII. Valente ire said. "He was actively youth sports. fiivohTd in the design, "Tom and I coached procurement of funding together in the North Palm and attended to the details Beach girls softball pro - to snake the overall lurk gram. He was the founder functional as a multi -sport of the North Palm Beach residents to remember the man that so loved youth sports. "I want Lo be sure than his contribution to youth ath- letics in the North Palm Beach area will be perma- nently reritembered," Nlr_ Arsenault said. 'Ar, Arsenault inade a personal contribution to make than happetl_ "NIr. Arsenault has gener- nusly offered to donate $2,500 and our staff is researching a proper way Lo mark the field," said Mavor ;Noel. "Either a plaque or a stone or bust gar statue to dedicate a per- manent site." Mark Hodgkins, recre- ation director for North Palm Beach &,fid he was pleased with vffiage offi- cials' deci,sion_ "1 like it. I think Ws a per- fect fit," Mr. Hodgkins said.