Valerie Fursdon, 86, a longtime resident of Huntsville, passed away peacefully at her home in Madison on Sunday, 20 March 2022.
Valerie was born in Bristol, England, and emigrated to Canada in 1956 where she married Hubert Fursdon, of Teignmouth, England. They moved to Denver, Colorado in 1959, where both their sons, Nigel and Andrew, were born. In 1964, they moved to Huntsville, and it was here that Valerie began her long and successful career as an antiques dealer, specializing in English and French antiques.
In her spare time, Valerie was passionate about gardening, a love she passed on to both her sons. Valerie was also active in promoting the proper care of animals and their rights, at one time appearing on a weekly televised show in Huntsville to promote animal adoption. In the early 1960’s, Valerie performed in numerous plays with the Huntsville Little Theater (now known as Theater Huntsville), and she was a longtime supporter of the Huntsville Art League.
Valerie was preceded in death by her husband, Maurice Sparks. Survivors include her sons, Nigel (Jan), of Madison, AL, and Andrew (Keri), of Newton Abbot, England; two granddaughters and a grandson-in-law; three great grandchildren; and her younger sister, Pauline (Tony) of Tasmania, Australia.
A Celebration of Life ceremony for Valerie will be held in late spring/early summer; more information to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Ark, Inc., no-kill animal shelter, 139 Bo Cole Road NW, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, (256) 851-4088 (https://www.arkinc.org/).
