VALARIE LEA (FINCH) MARTINEZ

Funeral services for Valarie Lea Martinez, 59, will be held at 10:30 A.M. Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at the General Spence Wyoming Army National Guard Armory in Guernsey, Wyoming with Pastor Randy Simons from the Faith Fellowship Church in Guernsey officiating.  Inurnment will be at the Prairie Rest Cemetery near Guernsey, with military honors accorded by J.J. Webb American Legion Post #95, Wyoming Army National Guard Honor Guard, and Lake Guernsey VFW Post #4471.
Valarie, a resident of Guernsey, passed away March 29, 2012 at the Platte County Memorial Hospital in Wheatland, Wyoming. She battled pancreatic cancer for fifteen months that spread to her liver and lungs.  
She was born September 30, 1952, in Paso Robles, California the daughter of Roy and Dixie (Harper) Finch.
Val was raised and educated in San Luis Obispo, California.  She graduated college from Laramie County Community College in Torrington, Wyoming.   She served in the United States Navy from 1970-1974.  She came to Wyoming in 1974, joining the Wyoming Army National Guard in May, 1987.   In October of 1988, Val turned full time AGR and in September of 1999 retired as Staff Sergeant with honorable discharge from the Artillery Regional Training Institute, Camp Guernsey.
Val married her soul mate, Gregory J. Martinez, May 2, 1998 in Guernsey.  She was always thrilled to go hunting and fishing with Greg.   She became an avid and expert seamstress in her retirement.  She fulfilled her dream by opening her own sewing shop in the summer of 2007 and continued that pursuit until three weeks before her death.  
She is survived by her husband, Gregory J. Martinez of Guernsey; her mother, Dixie Finch of Wheatland; her brother,  Steven Finch of Fresno, California; daughter, Jamie Martinez of Guernsey; sons, Zackery Bennett of Gillette, Wyoming and Nathan Martinez of Guernsey; step son, Sean Martinez of Guernsey; step daughter, Talisha Mottinger of Fairfax, Virginia; and six grandchildren - Benson, Bella, and Briar Martinez of Guernsey, Tanaya Martinez, Christian Helms, and Devon Mottinger of Fairfax; mother-in-law Lena Martinez; sister-in-law, Olivia (Sam) Martinez; brothers-in-law, Ray (Jean), Pete (Mary), and Marty (Debbie) Martinez; and nine nieces and nephews.
Val was preceded in death by her father, Roy Finch.
In lieu of flowers a memorial to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) Foundation for Oncology 214 East 23rd Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001-3748 would be appreciated by the family.

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