Tribute to Lucille Valori

by Sergio Valori

first saw Lucille from the platform of a Salvation-Healing Crusade in Scranton, Pa. in May of 1954. When I saw her beauty in the crowd and her spirit in the prayer room, I knew I had found my prize. Our meeting and subsequent relationship were miraculously orchestrated by the Lord. As she accompanied me to New York on my way to Ireland in September, I asked her to commit herself to me while I was gone. Her “Yes” was accompanied by a strong squeeze of my hand, which in our lifetime became a familiar and precious way of saying, “I love you and I’m with you 100%.”

She came from a loving and closely-knit family of three sisters and a brother. She was a warrior for the cause of the kingdom. Behind the scenes, she became a great source of strength, support, and inspiration -- a true helpmate. In the face of hardship or adversity, encouragement always came: “The Lord will help us.” “Don’t worry; we’ll be all right.” Most of her ministry was hidden, for she did not seek the limelight. For example, no one knows that she was the one who helped me overcome the fear of flying. Upon takeoff, she would take my hand with the same familiar squeeze and say, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. God is with us.” After most Sunday morning services, on the way home she would squeeze my hand and say, “That was a good word. You should write that into a booklet.”

A word came to the two of us in a meeting in Horseheads N.Y. indicating that she would be a woman of wisdom and that as Abraham received from Sarah, I was to keep open to receive from her. Her sensitivity and wisdom many times made a critical input to my ministry and to God’s purpose. One example of this concerns my first mission to India in 1978. Three times I cancelled out on the trip because of my fear of flying. Although she worked and was raising 2 small children, Lucille kept insisting I should go, for she sensed there was a great purpose involved. As the result of that first trip, an effectual and vital door of ministry opened in that country that is still bearing fruit today.

Sometimes the squeeze would come in the form of a clear beautiful voice in the pew behind me, singing tunes like “Hearts Courageous”. When the going got tough, she loved to sing that message, “We’re marching on with hearts courageous; We’ll follow anywhere you want us to; And should you lead us where the battle rages; We’ll march on with hearts courageous after you.”

Over all the years of our ministry together, she labored faithfully for the church and became a spiritual mother to many. For them as well as herself, she stood for all the virtues of godly character – truth, honesty, integrity, fairness, uprightness, perseverance and hard work. She would readily bring needy people into our home and minister to them in a loving and tireless way—my own parents for 22 years, a friend dying with cancer, a pastor recovering from surgery, her own brother after heart surgery, a homeless young girl struggling to get her life back together. Jesus said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Lucille had a passion for the building up of the Church, both locally and world-wide. On mission trips, she was a tower of strength, bringing encouragement at critical moments and often dispelling fear. In the last few months before her illness, she expressed increased concern over the condition of the church in America. Her last words to me about the church’s condition were, “Surely there must be something more than what we have.”

One of her strongest spiritual traits was her unwavering commitment to raising children after the guidelines of God’s Word and developing a strong family. The Lord gave us 3 talented and God-fearing children, whose virtues will continually remind me of the wonderful wife I had. She established a strong standard in the home, not only by discipline, but by teaching our children to be honest, fair, courteous, upright, courageous and caring of others. Nothing was too much for the children—25 years of work for their education, trips and experiences for them to enjoy and much quality time together. And, grandchildren, don’t forget, you too, were very special to her.

Her years as Supervising Teller of the Leesport Bank were characterized by efficiency, fairness and hard work. Each customer was greeted with a big smile and made to feel like someone special. She was committed to the conviction of arriving early for work and mostly always staying late. On her own time, she compiled an instruction manual for all the banks, the principles of which are still used today.

Perhaps at no other time in her life were her courage and inner spiritual strength manifest more than in the time of her illness. From the very beginning, she declared, “I just accept life as it comes.” From the time she heard her diagnosis until the end, I never once heard her complain. Through brain surgery, endless types of medical procedures, the daily and devastating advances of her disease, I marveled at the grace and patience she manifested.

On August 23, 2008 came the final squeeze. I had gotten into the routine of having a nightly mini church service together with her (just she and I) where we sang the old hymns, read a few verses and prayed. On that night, I marveled that she kept her eyes open for nearly 2 hours. The Lord was arranging the time of our goodbye. I talked much to her, told her I loved her about 2 dozen times and soon she tired. As I held her limp hand, the unexpected happened. For one last time, she reached back into her nearly depleted reservoir of strength and squeezed my hand three times. My lifetime sweetheart had expressed her love and appreciation and said her last goodbye.

I have lost my love and my closest friend.—an invaluable source of strength and inspiration. The Church has lost a warrior and an overcomer. But I am assured that she has now joined the ranks of the great cloud of witnesses and is rooting for us to give it all we have till we reach the final goal. I believe that when the dead rise to meet the Lord, she will be on the front lines, singing, “Let’s march on with hearts courageous.”

I thank the Lord for 53 wonderful, happy and memorable years. Through that marvelous avenue of memory, they will sparkle like diamonds all the rest of my life.

One last note: “Husbands, remember to love your wives.”

In loving memory,
Sergio Valori