Valarie Jo (Tomseth) DeLoretto

Published 8:32 am Monday, March 12, 2018

February 21, 1952 – February 21, 2018

Valarie Jo (Tomseth) DeLoretto passed away on February 21, 2018, of an abdominal aortic aneurism in Bend, Oregon. She was 66 years old.

Valarie was born in Eugene, February 21, 1952 and lived in Springfield, before moving to Kalispell, Montana in 1959 where she attended Flathead High School. In 1968, her family moved to Bend. She graduated from Bend Senior High in 1970, where she was a member of the drill team. She represented Central Oregon in the Miss Oregon pageant, winning the swimsuit competition, and was selected Miss Congeniality by her peers. She married Michael Carpenter in October 1970, and gave birth to the love of her life, Kristen (Carpenter) Ward, the following year in Salem. She divorced and later married James DeLoretto and worked in their company business, Crowd Management Services, for the next 25 years as the VP of Operations. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church since childhood and a member of PEO Chapter AI of Bend.

Valarie was a lifelong learner, attending Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Bryman School of Arizona, and Computer Career Institute in Portland. She earned her Associate Degree at Portland Community College, graduating with honors, and completed her certification as a Surgical Technician in Nevada. She took considerable pride in her studies and was an excellent student.

Following her divorce from James DeLoretto, she lived in Lincoln City, Las Vegas, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before returning to her beloved Bend. She worked at St. Charles Hospital in Prineville and Bend for nine years until her untimely death.Valarie was a kind, warm and gentle soul. She always took time to listen and imparted her wisdom when needed. She was the best mom, daughter, sister, friend and confidant a person could wish for, and will forever be missed by those whose lives were fortunate enough to have been in her company. She loved the summers on Echo Lake in Montana, the stormy Oregon Coast, and relished the warmth of a Maui breeze as she watched the colorful dance of a spectacular sunset.

Valarie is pre-deceased by her father, Jerry Tomseth, stepfather, Roger Gildersleeve and ex-husband, James DeLoretto. She is survived by her daughter, Kristen (Jeff) Ward of Bend; mother, Laura Jo Gildersleeve of Bend; brothers, Mark (Marcia) Tomseth of Vancouver, and Matthew (Diana) Tomseth of Bend; uncle, Jerry (Millie) Skinner of Corvallis; nieces and nephews, Madeline and Dane Tomseth of Portland, Mark (Katie) Tomseth Jr. and Sarah Tomseth of Beaverton, Cassandra and Conner Tomseth of Vancouver; three great nephews, Dakota, Skyler, Isaiah, and great niece, Tansy Tomseth of Beaverton.

A celebration of Valarie’s life is tentatively scheduled for May 5, 2018 at the Bend Country Club. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the KIDS Center, 1375 NW Kingston Ave., Bend, OR 97703.