Antoinette (Ann) Marie Valentine (age 86)

[Pompeii]

Antoinette (Ann) Marie Valentine of American Fork, Utah passed away peacefully at her home with family and friends on June 15, 2018 after an extended illness. Born on New Year's Day, 1932 in Sykesville, PA. to Carmen and Mary Fratto Valentine. Ann was the second youngest of ten children including Fran Valentine, Pat Valentine, Gemma Castiglione, Viola Kokoska, Jenny Petraitis, Joe Valentine, Lou Valentine, Sara Stover and Sam Valentine and predeceased by all of them.

Ann especially competed with her brothers in sports while growing up. She graduated from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania where she worked her way through college while earning a bachelor's degree in physical education. She also was a four-sport athlete, competing on the tennis, volleyball, field hockey and basketball teams. Her tennis prowess was defined when she was named the No. 1 player in both singles and doubles. She lost only one tennis match in her four years at college.

Ann received her master's degree in education from Penn State University also in Pennsylvania while her youngest brother Sam was a two-letter sportsman including an All American in football. At Penn State she began her career teaching physical education, while coaching tennis. Ann came to Utah in 1965 for a change of climate. Little did she know she would be spending the next 38 years at BYU, leaving a legacy for women's sports. 

BYU handed Ann the coaching keys to the women's struggling tennis team in 1969. Over time, BYU improved its ranking and became a national threat. Playing an increasingly challenging schedule, Ann's teams won 15 conference championships. Over 23 years, 21 of her teams were ranked in the top 20 and 12 in the top 10. Over her 27-year coaching career, she compiled a 427-175 record, a 71 percent winning average. She also coached 17 All-American athletes.

Throughout her career, Ann received countless awards for her skills and efforts to advance intercollegiate competition for women. She initiated the first Mixed Team Collegiate Tournament at BYU and created the first national indoor round-robin team competition - now an ITA Grand Slam event.

In 1995, Valentine was awarded The Wilson/ITA National Division-I Coach of the Year, making her the first BYU women's coach to receive a national coaching title. The following year, she received the ITA Rolex Meritorious Service Award and was later inducted into both the Utah Hall of Honor and BYU's Hall of Fame. To top it off, Valentine was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. One of the most celebrated tennis coaches in the history of BYU, Ann retired at the end of August, 2003. Perhaps the greatest complement made about Ann by a former player was "people wanted to win for Ann."Not only did Ann excel in her coaching techniques, but she also worked to improve women's sports in her role as a women's athletics administrator at BYU.
Since her retirement Ann continued to teach and hold coaching seminars part-time and spent more time with her family of to over 45 nieces & nephews.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 from 12-1 PM from the Baronick Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 1 PM from the funeral home with Pastor Terry Felt officiating.

Burial will follow in St. Catherine Cemetery.

In honor of Ann and her lifelong commitment to always helping others, a BYU Women's Tennis Scholarship Fund has been established in her name to help future scholar athletes have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. If you feel so inclined, please visit give.byu.edu/ann-valentine to make a donation.

Online condolences may be sent to www.baronickfuneralhome.com