Marcia Valeo

Marci (Marcia Jane Helsel) Valeo died Saturday evening, December 16, 2023, at her home in Missoula with her family by her side, her cat snoozing at her feet, and her dog at hand.

She would have it no other way.

Marci was born in Madison, NJ on December 28, 1942. She was raised in Morristown, NJ, where she had a younger brother named Greg, a palomino named Honey, and a pet fawn named Bucky (two of the three were allowed in the house). After a brief stint at Marietta College, she moved to Boston, where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business at Boston University.

After college, Marci moved to New York City. She met Jim when they were both working at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. They were married in 1968, daughter Christina was born in 1969, and the family of three moved to Los Angeles in 1971, where son Michael was born. Marci was famous for her home-cooked meals, never missed a ball game or a play, and was known to have chocolate chip cookies waiting for her kids when they got home from school. She was an avid volunteer in the community and loved her work with the Junior League, the San Vicente Design Review Board, the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, and many others. She spoiled the family pets, traveled with Jim (and sometimes the kids), and loved having her nose in a book.

Jim and Marci moved to Missoula in 1992 after many years of visiting. They loved the city for its breathtaking landscape and vibrant community, and they soon made many treasured friends. Missoula offered more volunteer opportunities for Marci, including the Clark Fork Coalition, County Open Lands Committee, Missoula Symphony Guild and Association, and the Montana Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (MOLLI). Marci's love of animals was apparent on the ranch where they lived, with horses joining the traditional dogs and cats, bird feeders off the porch, and herds of deer in the pastures. Marci loved to socialize and entertain and often hosted dinners, parties, and gatherings. Marci and Jim celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary this past August.

Marci was preceded in death by her parents and her brother. She is survived by her husband Jim, her daughter Chris (Cheney, WA), her son Michael (Palm Springs, CA, and Barcelona, Spain), and her grandchildren Dylan Doney and Halley Doney.

We all loved Marci's easy welcome, her broad smiles, her love of the nature around her, her self-deprecating humor, her brilliant mind, and her generous heart - which we will, someday, forgive for taking her from us so much sooner than we wanted her to go.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Missoula Symphony Association or the Missoula Public Library, where her Celebration of her Life will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024, from 5-6:30p (4th Floor). Expect it to be a Marci-sized party.

She would have it no other way.