Obituaries

William Terry "Bill" Valentine Jr.

Photo of William Terry "Bill" Valentine Jr.
William Terry "Bill" Valentine Jr., 82, of Little Rock, died on April 26, 2015. He was born on November 21, 1932, the only child of William Valentine Sr. and Margaret Kremer Valentine. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 38 years, Mary Ellouise Pefferly. Bill is survived by his wife of 24 years, Nena Rose Hays Valentine. Shortly before his death, Bill told his friends, "I haven't just had a good life. I've had a dream life." He grew up in Little Rock, blocks away from what was then called Traveler Field and later became Ray Winder Field. As a boy, Bill worked at any available job at the ballpark including selling concessions and chasing foul balls. At 14 he began umpiring games for local amateur and semi-professional teams in the area. Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway offered Bill a journalism scholarship when he graduated from North Little Rock High School in 1950, but he turned it down to travel to Daytona Beach, Florida, to attend a training school for professional baseball umpires. At 18, he became the youngest umpire in professional baseball history. Bill spent 18 years as an umpire in various professional leagues, culminating with five years in the American League. He holds the distinction as one of the only two umpires who ever threw Mickey Mantle out of a ballgame. During baseball's off-season and after his American League career, Bill refereed college basketball in the Southwest, Missouri Valley, and Gulf Coast conferences. He also served as radio play-by-play announcer for Travelers games and was assistant executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party. From 1976 to 2009, Bill was general manager of the Arkansas Travelers Baseball team. Attendance had waned at the aging ballpark in the early 70s, but Bill initiated creative offerings to bring families back to what he called "the greatest show on dirt." His sometimes outlandish but highly successful promotions included Clunker Car Night and appearances by the San Diego Chicken and Captain Dynamite. Attendance at Traveler games grew from 67,000 in 1975 to 223,000 in 1980. Career honors include more awards than can be listed here. Highlights were induction into both the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas League Hall of Fame. The National Association of Minor League Baseball Teams named Bill Executive of the Year in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1999, and 2007 as well as proclaiming him "The King of Baseball" in December of 2014. Bill also proudly displayed a plaque he received in 1989 from the North Little Rock Boys Club naming him to their Alumni Hall of Fame. Negotiating the team's affiliation change from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Anaheim Angels, as well as joining in the endeavor to create a new home for the Travelers in North Little Rock at Dickey Stephens Park, Bill was an integral part of the Travelers' history. In March of 2009, he announced his retirement to fans at a game in the newly completed park. Bill chronicled his baseball career in When In Doubt, Call Them Out, a book he co-wrote with Democrat-Gazette sports writer Jim Baily. Bill's "dream life" included his enjoyment of good food and wine, extensive travel all over the world, and his many friends who will remember his generosity, his sense of humor and his passion for living life to the fullest. The family would like to express sincere appreciation to Dr. Rodney Davis and Dr. Nathan Littlejohn both of UAMS. Pallbearers are John Evans, Pete Laven, Greg Crawford, Rhys Branman, Tom Kayser, Jerry Wells, and Michael Gowen. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bill Valentine Charitable Foundation at Centennial Bank, c/o Toby Anthony, 4924 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, Ark. 72207. A visitation will be held Wednesday April 29, 2015 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ruebel Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on Thursday April 30, 2015 at 10 a.m. in Dickey-Stephens Park, 400 W Broadway St, North Little Rock, Ark. 72114. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published April 28, 2015

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