June 14, 1958 - May 20, 2024
Valerie was gifted intellectually, creatively and musically. She loved being outside, with her dogs, exploring and taking pictures of the wide variety of plants she found. Val served as the Assistant Director of Ontario Heartland Chorus for a number of years at the same time as she was Lead section leader of the Toronto Accolades (HI Chorus).
Val was a fierce advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She was the catalyst for the DEI committee formed by SAI, based on her mother’s experience in the 1960s. Val was also a charter member of Harmony Inc’s Equity and Diversity Committee. The Inclusiveness in Barbershop Singing Facebook community, with the purpose of sharing ideas on how to be inclusive, was part Val’s ongoing effort to further the discussion.
Women’s Barbershop owes a debt of gratitude to Valerie and her mother Lana Clowes, whose courage and dedication have left an enduring legacy within both organizations.
Val is sorely missed by the many friends who were blessed to be part of her life and the extended circle of people whose lives she impacted.
