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Val RoneyApril 7, 1941 to October 4, 2026
A Life That Made the World Brighter
Some people enter a room. Others fill it with light. Val Roney was one of those extraordinary souls who made the world a little brighter simply by being in it.
Val Roney, born Vinna Ann Leahy on April 7, 1941, passed away October 4, 2026, at age 85. She leaves a legacy of compassion, resilience, laughter, and a remarkable gift for making everyone feel seen, heard, and valued. To know Val was to feel welcomed. She offered encouragement without judgment and made people feel that they mattered.
Raised in West Seattle, Val was the eldest child of the late Alan Leahy and Ethlyn Milky. She grew up alongside brothers Mike, Lester, and Brian. Her father died when she was six, and the family endured a difficult period of separation while her mother worked to restore stability. Val attended Holy Rosary School, skipped third grade, and later built a career working with attorneys and judges in downtown Seattle, including the Honorable Judge Roney.
A visit to a Duvall farm introduced Val to a young man working in the fields whom she thought was the hired hand. At a St. Patrick’s Day dance in 1972, her brother Lester explained that the young man was actually Ward Roney Jr., the judge’s son. Val and Ward married July 1, 1972. Together they raised daughters Marilyn Irene “Lynn” and Bridget Kathleen “Katie” at Roney River Ranch, where neighbors and friends gathered for meals, cards, laughter, and community celebrations. Their devotion lasted nearly 48 years, until Ward’s death on May 18, 2020. They even found ways to share their daily kiss while navigating wheelchairs and scooters.
Through her own recovery journey, Val found a calling in helping others begin again. She spoke openly about her experiences to build understanding, never to overshadow someone else’s story. Active in Alcoholics Anonymous, she sponsored and encouraged countless people. From 1987 to 1994 she served at Residence XII, welcoming women seeking treatment and offering the hope that change was possible. Her compassion touched women, families, and fellow professionals. In 2002 she received a leadership award recognizing her dedication to women and families affected by addiction.
Rooted in her Irish Catholic upbringing, Val and Ward also found God in the nature surrounding them, in their community, and in everyday acts of service. She loved to send people on their way with “Hugs around your neck” and a blessing of protection.
Val is remembered by daughters Lynn and Katie; granddaughters Haley Ann Nicole and Paige Irelynn; brothers Mike and Brian; and a wide circle of loved ones and people whose lives she touched. She was preceded in death by her husband Ward, her parents Alan and Ethlyn Leahy, her stepfather Thomas Gavin, and brother Lester Leahy.
Val did not simply tell people they mattered. She made them feel it. Her light lives on through every act of kindness paid forward. And while the world may feel a little dimmer without her physical presence, the light she shared was never hers to keep. She gave it away, generously and endlessly, and it continues to shine through everyone she touched.
And as our Mom would always say...
“Angels All Around You.”
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Riverview School District Building. 15510 1st Ave. Duvall WA 98019, 15510 1st Ave NE, Duvall, WA 98019-6000, United States
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