Valerie Irene (Ray) Peel

Valerie Irene Peel, 68, of Franklin, NC passed away on Thursday, October 6, 2016. She grew up in Seal Beach, CA and as a young girl, was involved in Girl Scouts; liked to surf and went to Unity Church of Christianity in Long Beach, CA. She took ballet classes; joined the Air Bells of Long Beach, and was able to welcome the "Queen Mary", riding on it into port. She graduated from Marina Del Ray High School in Huntington Beach, CA in 1966. She met her future husband, president of the Whittier Youth Group in 1964 at a Unity Church Christmas dance. She went to Long Beach City College, and was taking classes to become a nurse and she trained at the Veteran's Administration Hospital of Long Beach to become a Certified Nurse's Aide. When Valerie graduated from her Unity Church youth group she became a Junior Sponsor.

In 1966, it was at a Unity summer dance when another Junior Sponsor asked her to dance. They started talking and remembered each other from the Whittier Unity Christmas Dance of 1964. During the next four months they were inseparable and unstoppable, first going steady and then engaged at another Unity Church Christmas dance. They were married on January 12, 1968, in the Long Beach Unity Church. Valerie gave birth to a son, Johnny Henry Peel III on November 26, 1968, and then to a daughter, Temre Renee Peel on March 19, 1973. She has lived in the following cities and states, Seal Beach, CA, Whittier, CA, Kingsburg, CA, Vancouver, WA, Hoodriver, OR, Houston, TX, San Antonio, TX, Havelock, NC and Franklin, NC. She worked at multiple Nursing Centers across the United States, the last one being Mountain Trace where she worked for 11 years.

She is survived by her husband, John; her son, Johnny Peel; her daughter, Temre Gillig; her grandchildren, Ryan, Tristan, Cassandra, and Zachariah Gillig; two sisters, Carol Poff and Stacey Ray‑Smith and her husband's brothers, James Peel and Joseph Ripley.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 1:00 pm in the chapel of Bryant‑Grant Funeral Home and Crematory with Rev. David Beam and Rev. Vic Greene officiating. The family will greet friends following the service.

Bryant‑Grant Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Peel family. Online condolences are available at bryantgrantfuneralhome.com.