Valerie Nash's Obituary
After a lifetime devoted to her faith, Valerie Nash, 66, went home to Jesus on May 10, 2025.
She passed away after a time of declining health.
Valerie was known for providing encouraging words through prayer, phone calls and greeting cards. She was a very loving, giving, personable, and compassionate person. She was especially courageous through her fights with many health ailments.
Church life took center stage in many of her favorite activities, such as leading Sunday school, going on retreats with friends, and playing Bunco once a month. Valerie also enjoyed sewing, cooking, listening and singing along to music, traveling to the beach, cross country skiing, and thrifting. She liked chocolate, coffee and Diet Coke. Valerie especially enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt.
She was born on Jan. 30, 1959 in Portland, Ore. to Doug and Janet Larsell, and grew up by the University of Portland. Valerie was a proud middle child between sister Linda and brother Jon, and had fond memories of family trips and picnics, working in her dad’s grocery store Gilham’s Market, and having fun with friends from school and Rainbow for Girls. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1977.
Valerie met Nathan, her husband of nearly 46 years, in Newport, Ore., where he was stationed for the Coast Guard. They held hands for several hours that day and were forever linked. They married in August 1979 and lived inside the Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church apartment. Their son Matthew was born in 1983. Valerie and Nathan moved to her parents’ rental home a year later, and in 1989 moved to Warren, Ore. where they continued to reside. Along with her diverse interests, she had many work experiences in life that brought many people into her life.
She worked for Purdy Brush, Sprouse-Reitz, Northwest Container, First Place Rehabilitation, Community Action Team, Fred Meyer, Riverside Training, Bi-Mart, Wells Fargo, and more.
Valerie pursued college at various points in her life as time allowed. Personal growth was important to her academically and spiritually.
She is survived by her beloved husband Nathan; son Matthew and daughter-in-law Stephanie; grandchildren Reed and Oliver; sister Linda and brother-in-law Robert; nephew Christian; brother Jon and sister-in-law Karen, and her children; Nathan’s brothers and sisters; six nieces and nephews from Nathan’s side; several cousins from her parents’ side, and many, many friends through work, church and life in general. Valerie was preceded in death by her parents Doug and Janet.
A memorial service will be held May 31, 2025 at 11AM at Columbia River Foursquare, 555 Commons Drive, St. Helens, Ore. See Columbia Funeral Home’s website (columbiafh.com) for more information.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, family members ask that donations be made to Columbia Pacific Food Bank in St. Helens (cpfoodbank.org).
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