Val Mittan

Val Mittan passed away on April 6, 2025. She was born Valerie Anne Levers on December 12, 1947, in Derby England. She grew up in that area and went to Ockbrook girls boarding school. Although she generally lived at home, she did stay at the school at times when her parents travelled. She graduated from secretarial school and worked at Rolls Royce for a short time. In 1967, she married her first husband, Colin Evans. In 1968, she gave birth to a son, Gareth. Also in 1968, Colin and Val moved to the US where Colin found work. In 1969, Val gave birth to her daughter, Heather. In 1974, the family moved to Houston, Texas. Val worked for a time as a Pharmacy technician with Target pharmacy. In 1976, Val gave birth to another son, Ian. The marriage was tumultuous, and the couple separated in 1982 and divorced in 1983. In 1983, Val was attending a dance sponsored by Parents without Partners (PWP), where she met Rich Mittan. They hit it off very well and were married in late 1983. Val and Rich made their home in Houston where Rich worked. Val worked as an administrative assistant in a small insurance agency. In 1995, they moved to the Dallas area due to Rich’s job change. Val worked as an administrative assistant for a registered financial planner. Another job change in 2003 brought about a move to northwest Pennsylvania. In 2005, Val’s mother was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and Val spent about 10 months back in England. Rich joined her for about the last 3 months of that time until her mother’s death in early 2006. Val and Rich then moved to the Denver area and in 2007 they bought their current home. Also in 2007, Val became a naturalized United States citizen. Life was very good for many more years. Val did a great job getting the house decorated to her liking and making the house into a lovely home. She and Rich were able to take some vacation trips. One trip in 2014 was to Glenwood springs Colorado with a stop along the way to make the strenuous hike up to Hanging Lake. In 2016, they travelled to South Dakota to see Mt Rushmore, and the badlands. Another trip in 2019 was to visit friends in Washington State. In 2021, Val started suffering from a chronic cough and in December, she was diagnosed with an unspecified Interstitial Lung Disease. In February of 2022, she received a phone call from her ex-husband, Colin, with the sad news that their eldest son Gareth had passed away while vacationing with his partner in Sicily. There were family issues that resulted in Val and her children becoming estranged, however this news still disturbed her greatly. In June of 2022, Val’s lung disease diagnosis was confirmed to be Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. This diagnosis was devastating and along with the death of her son, affected her mental health to the point that she was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. She received mental health treatment and recovered very well later in 2022. In November of 2024, she suffered a mental health relapse. She received more treatment for the next 4 months, which included in-patient care. Even with their attention and care, she could not overcome her fear of the disease, and she passed away on April 6, 2025. Her daughter Heather currently lives in the Salt Lake City area and her son Ian lives in Sydney, Australia. They have both been informed of her passing. Val loved nature and was concerned about the environment. She expressed that when she passed, she wanted a green burial. On April 23, her body was enclosed in a biodegradable shroud and was buried in the natural burial section at Foothill Gardens of Memory in Longmont, CO. There was a graveside service and along with his tears, Rich placed Tulips and Lavender from her garden onto the shroud. There will be a Celebration of Life service at Mile Hi Church at 9077 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Co on May 20th at 10:30 am.