MARBLEHEAD - Valerie departed on her last great adventure on June 24 just as she lived her life, with curiosity, anticipation, creativity and fortitude.

A lifelong learner, with an intellectual appetite to the end, Valerie graduated from Simmons College with a degree in Publications, a certificate of Library Science from Salem State University, BFA from Montserrat College of Art and a certificate in Bookbinding/Paper Conservation from North Bennet Street School. She worked over the years in the libraries at Rhodes School, Shore Country Day, Fredrick Law Olmsted Historic Site in Brookline and at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Valerie met the love of her life, Daryl Wyckoff (James Jay Hill Professor of Transportation, Harvard Business School) in the last few months of college while she was at Simmons and he was at MIT. They embarked on a whirlwind romance of a few months before taking a leap of faith and marrying. They moved to Santa Monica, California where they lived for 10 years.

She discovered ceramics in the early 1960s when she took a class at the Will Rogers Historic Park in Santa Monica. This craft was her main creative outlet her entire adult life.

Relocating back to Massachusetts so Daryl could pursue his PhD at Harvard, they were glad to return to New England, where much of Valerie's family was located. They made their home in Marblehead, a community that welcomed them wholeheartedly, and became active members of St. Michael's Church.

Her love of travel and adventure took her all over the world, including Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, South America, Europe, Africa, as well as hiking in Switzerland in the summers. She shared this sense of wanderlust with her daughters, Michele and Abigail, along with her grandchildren Caleb, Toby, Haydn, Johan and his wife Sarah. She completed her bucket list with one last trip to Spain and Italy only a few months ago.

Music was a great passion from an early age. Valerie enjoyed open rehearsals at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, listening to the Metropolitan Opera and chamber music concerts whenever she could attend them.

Valerie leaves behind an amazing group of female friends from St. Michael's Church, St Catherine's Guild, RH Trail Hikers, Scorpio Girls, Clay School friends, Book Club, Cottage Garden Club, Conversation Group, BSO concert goers and many others she met along the way. This community of friends embraced her daughters Michele and Abigail as they said goodbye to her during her short illness.

As well as her daughters and four grandsons, Valerie also said farewell to her sons-in-law Zimri Smith and Christopher Wilson. She held dear her twin sister, Deborah Schram and younger sister Marcia Seward, nieces Lauren Schram, Doris Watson, Hilary Kempainen, Lara Wyckoff and nephew Lindsay Seward, as well as their children.

ARRANGEMENTS: A celebration of Valerie's life will take place at St. Michael's Church, Marblehead, on Thursday, September 18 at 11:00 am. Please dress in bright colors to honor her creative spirit. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O'Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 84 Washington Sq., (at Salem Common) SALEM.   In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Lifebridge Salem, P.O. Box 810, Salem, MA 01970 or The Haven Project in Lynn, 57 Munroe Street, Lynn, MA 0190 in her memory. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.

Life Bridge Salem
P.O. Box 810, Salem MA 01970
Web: https://lifebridgenorthshore.org/donate/

The Haven Project
57 Munroe Street, Lynn MA 01901
Web: https://havenproject.net/donate/