Valerie A. Redpath

Valerie A. Redpath, 79, passed away peacefully at the VNA Hospice House after a long struggle with dementia and brief illness on Friday, September 29, 2023 with her husband by her side.

Valerie was born August 9, 1944, in Brownfield, TX, to parents Dow and Georgia ‘Jean’ (nee Chouteau) Snyder.  Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Cleveland, OH, where her brother joined the family in 1945.  The family moved to Ardmore, OK, then to Oklahoma City, OK which Valerie called home.

Valerie graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a B.A. in Education with a focus in history and mathematics.  Realizing teaching was not her calling; Valerie worked as a librarian at the Oklahoma Historical Society.  Wanting to continue her education, Valerie enrolled at the University of Oklahoma graduating with a Master of Library Science degree.  She worked her way through graduate school as a legal secretary for an Oklahoma City law firm.  Following graduation, Valerie was the Assistant Law Librarian and then Acting Law Librarian at the Oklahoma City University Law School Library.

Valerie’s parents encouraged her and her brother to visit several churches and make their own decision.  Valerie chose to join the First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City.  Valerie met her future husband, Ron, when they both hesitantly attended an organizational meeting for the church’s adult singles group. A little over a year after that fateful meeting, they were married on November 8, 1975.  Her faith was important to her.  More than once, she committed a year to reading the Bible from start to finish. Opportunities in Ron’s career led them from Oklahoma City to Lock Haven, PA, Vero Beach, FL, Ft. Worth, TX, and Newcastle, WA.  In retirement they moved back to Vero Beach, FL to be close to family.  Every place she moved, Valerie participated in church outreach programs, volunteer organizations and continuing education courses.  Valerie was a dedicated genealogist, starting long before the internet made research easier.  Through her research, she traced and documented her Native American ancestry and was a registered member of the Cherokee Tribe. She also traced her Chouteau ancestors back to the founding of St. Louis, MO.

Valerie is survived by her husband Ronald R. (Ron) Redpath.  They were 5 weeks short of their 48^th anniversary.  She is also survived by sisters-in-law Janyce Snyder (Oklahoma City), Patricia Roberts (Vero Beach), nephews Shea (Malaina) Snyder and Shaun Snyder (Oklahoma City), Ian Roberts (Veronica Prisco) (Orlando), cousins Neal Evinger (Austin, TX) and Joan Harling (Palm Springs, CA) as well as extended family and friends from places lived.

Valerie was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, Robert (Bob) Snyder.

If you wish, contributions in Valerie’s memory may be made to the VNA Hospice House (vnatc.org), the Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of Indian River County (alzpark.org), or First Presbyterian Church, Vero Beach (www.firstpresvero.org).

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 2:00PM in the First Presbyterian Church Chapel, 520 Royal Palm Blvd. The service will be livestreamed.

Arrangements by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.