Kinder-Funeral Service for Wallace Lane Valentine, 92, will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Kinder Bible Church. Chaplain (Colonel) Kevin Forrester will officiate. Burial will follow in Kinder McRill Cemetery under the direction of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.

The family will receive visitors Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 12 noon until time of service at Kinder Bible Church.

Beloved husband, father of two, and grandfather, Wallace Valentine passed on to be with his Lord on March 20, 2019. Born in Jena, Louisiana, on December 12, 1926, to Lonnie and Martha Valentine, Wallace was the third of four brothers. Wallace grew up on the family farm in Trout, Louisiana, spending days working on the farm and enjoying the woods.

After graduating high school in 1944, Wallace joined the US Navy where he served aboard the USS Attala troop transport in the Pacific theater until the end of WWII. He wrote about his wartime experience for his grandchildren and recently visited the WWII Museum in New Orleans where he shared his firsthand memories. Upon completion of this service, he returned to Louisiana where he attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute and studied Civil Engineering.

Upon graduation, Wallace joined the Louisiana Highway Department in Lake Charles. While there, he met his beloved wife of 65 years, Elaine Fontenot of Edna, Louisiana. They married on June 23, 1951, and moved to Baytown, Texas, where he started a long and varied construction career spanning both domestic and international projects.

Wallace held project management positions with Stearns Rodgers, Houston Chemical, and PPG Industries with projects all over North America and Asia. After traveling extensively, the couple settled in Beaumont, Texas, where they raised their two children, Ken and Kathy. While in Beaumont, Wallace was an active member of First Baptist Church, Boy Scouts, and baseball.   Wallace enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family, often duck hunting in the Texas marshes with Ken.

Upon retirement, the couple relocated to Richmond, Texas, to be near family, and especially the grandchildren. His time was filled with kid's sports, band concerts, and dance recitals. Wallace and Elaine attended River Bend Baptist Church and traveled the US in their motor home, including several trips to Alaska. Wallace was an avid gardener, maintaining a large annual garden with friends. You could always find Wallace outside at the garden with a cup of hot coffee...even on the hottest of days. He continued to hunt and fish frequently.

He is survived by those left to cherish his memory which include his son, Ken Valentine and wife, Barbara; his daughter, Kathy Bross and husband, Steve; and his five grandchildren, David Bross, Robert Bross and wife, Emily;   Tyler Valentine and wife, Kelsey, Justin Valentine and wife Katherine, and Brittany Valentine.

Wallace is preceded in death by his wife, Elaine; his parents Lonnie and Martha Valentine; and his three brothers Hurley, Audis and Melvin Valentine.