*Please see donation information below.* Valerie was a special daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, sister-in law, daughter-in-law, and friend. She was a spirit of love and light who glowed even more brilliantly when with her family and friends.

Val absolutely adored her children, Adam and Hayley. She and Jeff raised their two glorious children in a home filled with love, support, guidance , fun, friends, and always dogs. Her world orbited around her children and all their accomplishments. Her universe was vast. One only needs to look at her Facebook page to see just how large it was. She loved going out with friends and having people over. Their parties were legendary and became a tradition for their many friends.

Valerie was raised in Illinois and moved to Florida in 1980. She met Jeff and it was love at first sight. Their 34 year marriage was the foundation for the wonderful life they built together. Val loved everything about the beach: the sun, the sand, the surf. Her ideal place was any beach surrounded by her family, friends, and dogs. Her love of dogs was instilled in her children. It was typical to have multiple pets at their home on any given day. Recently, Valerie started a pet sitting service which quickly grew because of her wonderful care. Valerie will be missed by more people than can be mentioned in this tribute.

In addition to her husband, Jeff, and her children Adam and Hayley; she was the daughter of Janet (Okoniewski) Ward, whose death preceded her daughter's, and Jack Ward; sister to Tim (Mary); aunt to Eva (Andy), Juliet, Stephanie(Aaron), Craig, Ryan, and Kelly; sister-in-law to Garry (Mindy), Rory, David, Emily; daughter-in-law to Teddy; niece to Jeanne. Her lifelong friends, Anna (Rick) and Veronica (Kerry) represent a large cadre of friends.

*In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to BIG DOG RANCH RESCUE (www.bdrr.org) to honor her and her passion for dogs. Please make mention of The Valerie Pottruck Fund. As the plaque in the family living room reads, "who rescues whom?"

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at Coral Springs Funeral Home (1420 N. University Dr., Coral Springs) on Friday, January 22, at 4:00 pm. The family will be accepting visitors at their home immediately following the service.