Joseph Raymond Valdez, the man his family and friends knew and depended on as "Joe", passed away at peace in the early morning hours of April 15, 2020 at his home in Spring, Texas. He was 71.

Born October 13, 1948 in Houston, Texas. Joe grew up with father Fred, mother Cruz, sister Olivia and beloved cousins.

He graduated from Sam Houston High School and attended the University of Houston. Joe's academic career was interrupted by the escalation of the Vietnam War, when Joe enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1968. He served aboard the USS ​Estes​ , an amphibious force flagship based in San Diego and the USS ​Stribling​ , a destroyer put to sea in Mayport, Florida.

He participated in naval operations off the coast of Vietnam at the peak of the war but most enjoyed the opportunity to travel the globe, passing through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal and exploring many ports between Hong Kong, Japan, Greece, and Italy.

In his civilian career, Joe worked as a sales representative for Houston-based manufacturers of control rooms that monitor the flow of electricity in industrial facilities, selling these facilities to refineries and offshore platforms.

Joe excelled in the vanishing art of building and maintaining professional relationships. He once advised his stepson Eddie that the ideal manner in which to depart a summer part-time job at Walgreens was to present his manager a pair of Houston Astros tickets as thanks.

He enjoyed physical fitness and for many years spent his recreation time long-distance cycling. Joe biked to Galveston with friends and finished the Texas MS 150 from Houston to Austin multiple times.

Joe was most proud of his children, which he spent nearly forty years raising, supporting and counseling: his sons Joseph Fredric and Aaron James Valdez, his stepchildren Michelle White and Eddie Grant, Michael Harmeier and Lauren Harmeier. Bike rides, hikes and car trips were common from the time his sons were able to walk. Joe's nephews and nieces remember him being their favorite uncle, whether taking them to ride go-carts or to see their first R-rated movie. High school graduation for his sons were commemorated by snorkeling trips to Cancun. Trips to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival were common.

It was also more common to find him reading the ​Houston Chronicle​ or a book in the evening than watching TV. The supernatural tales of Stephen King favorites and later, the LAPD thrillers by Michael Connelly. He not only read ​The Odyssey​ but understood it.

Joe is survived by his wife Sandra, his sister Olivia, all of his children and stepchildren as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. In adherence to his wishes, his body was cremated at Klein Funeral Home  A memorial service will be scheduled when travel and assembly becomes safer for his family and friends.

Donations can be made to any of the charities Joe donated to during his life: St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, or Houston Public Media.