Obituary of Valerie Kay Weight

Valerie Kay Weight passed away Thursday March 3, 2022 at home in Gilbert Arizona surrounded by her family. She was 68 years old. Cause of death was ovarian cancer which she had fought valiantly for two years. Valerie was born September 17, 1953 (the most important day of the year) in Petaluma, California, the daughter of George Milton Fort and Helen Pearl Fort. The family moved to Mesa, Arizona when Valerie was one year old. Valerie attended Mesa public schools graduating from Mesa High in 1972. After high school graduation she worked at various jobs including the Mesa Bus Depot, a donut shop, auto dealership, and ceramic bead making business. She also later worked at a credit union, insurance office and at a billing office for anesthesiologists. Valerie excelled at racquetball and surprised both sons of her future husband Mark by winning games consistently in singles and doubles against them. She was known for her interest in and ability to memorize and recite poetry and prose. Valerie served as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the North Carolina Mission which was a most rewarding time in her life. She served multiple times as Primary President, Young Women's President and Relief Society President in Arizona and Texas for her church. Always sure of having an opportunity to be a wife and mother Valerie continued to make lifelong friends among youth, young adults and adults through service and showing genuine concern for others and their challenges in life. She was always known for showing up with interest in her blue eyes and love in her heart for those she met and had the opportunity to share her life with. At the age of 38 Valeries dreams were realized when she married Mark Henry Weight in the Mesa Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Marks son Benjamin Mark came to live with Valerie and Mark just 5 months after their marriage, the honeymoon was over but Valeries lifetime role as a devoted and loving mother blossomed. She and her husband Mark raised his son Benjamin and were blessed with their daughter Marklyn Ruth born in 1994. After living in Gilbert, Arizona for ten years Valerie, Mark and Marklyn moved to Frisco Texas for 10 years and then returned to Gilbert for the last 10 years of her life. One of the great joys of Valeries life was attending the temple for years in Mesa, Arizona and Dallas, Texas and then having the opportunity to serve as a worker in the Gilbert Arizona temple for over 4 years. Valerie beat Mark to retirement by one day in September 2018. They were delighted to be called to serve as senior missionaries in the visitor center at Cove Fort, Utah. They were scheduled to report in September 2019 but just prior to that time Valerie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer which later claimed her life. She will be truly missed by her husband of 30 years Mark, son Benjamin and his wife Jona and grandchildren Brigham, Nitzia and Noah of Queen Creek, Arizona. And certainly no one could miss Valerie more than her daughter Marklyn Ruth Clevenger married to Sterling and living in Gilbert, Arizona. Valerie is also survived by her brothers Milton (Elaine), Kenneth (Sharron) and Steve (Pam) and her sister Lynette (Michael) Rose all from the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona. She is also survived by a step-son Troy LaMar Weight of Springville, Utah. Services under the direction of Falconer Funeral Home include a viewing from 5:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday March 11, 2022 at 251 West Juniper Ave. Gilbert, AZ. Funeral will be held at 10:00 am Saturday March 12, 2022 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building at 1005 North Voyager Drive Gilbert, Arizona. Internment will be in Pine, Arizona at a later date. The funeral will be available for live viewing at: http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/gilbertarizonavalvistastake