Former city councilman and business owner, George Valdez, age 83, of Galax, Virginia, passed away on April 23, 2026, at Forsyth Medical Center. He was in great health at the time of his death. George contracted pneumonia which developed into sepsis and quickly took his life. All who knew him were shocked that this could happen to someone as healthy as him. 

He was born in West Tampa, Florida, to Rev. Dennis and Ofelia Valdez Jr. His father felt called to bring the Gospel to the people of Cuba. The family lived and evangelized throughout the island during the 1950s. One of George’s favorite memories as a young teenager was singing and playing music as the villagers would gather from the hillsides to hear his father preach. They would bring the sick and God performed many miracles during their crusades. George's father passed away unexpectedly in Tampa. The family stayed in Florida, and George began working to support them. In the early 1960s, he met his future wife, Kathy, at “The Little Chapel” during a Sunday church service. He walked into the chapel as she was singing with her Gospel trio and was totally smitten. They were married in 1962 and had two daughters, Robin and Denise. While George and Kathy were busy working and raising their own family, they also formed the singing group "Sonshine Gospel Singers." They ministered at churches and auditoriums throughout Florida on the weekends. George and Kathy heard about Galax through their neighbors in Tampa, the Rourkes. 

The couple had retired to the area and insisted that the Valdezes should visit. Kathy was transferred by her employer to Raleigh, NC, and they soon began visiting Galax as the Rourkes suggested. They fell in love with the area and bought their first home here in 1992. By 1993, they both took an early retirement and purchased the Antique Apple in the old Truitt Dress Shop on Main Street. A few years later, they outgrew this location and moved across the street into the old Globman’s Department Store at 119 S. Main Street. With this great expansion, George was able to make another dream come true and open his own coffee shop. George’s Cones and Coffee was a huge hit and soon he was famous for his skinny mochas and chicken salad! Kathy joked that they were "the Starbucks of Galax." A few years later, they bought the building next door and opened Main Street Bike Shop. This added another great business to the downtown Galax community and ignited George's passion for biking. George and Kathy said they always felt at home in Galax and were well accepted by the town. He even served as a city councilman from 2001-2006. In 2014, they decided they were ready to retire "again" and sold their downtown businesses. The Antique Apple is now Briar Patch Marketplace & Cafe, and Main Street Bike Shop is now home to The Graceful Goose. After retirement, George and Kathy left Virginia and had many adventures. They renovated homes and lived in Georgia and Alabama. Their favorite pastimes were boating, camping, and visiting their family in Nashville, TN. Kathy Valdez passed away on May 6, 2020, less than four months after being told she had brain cancer. George was her faithful caregiver and never left her side. She fought valiantly and trusted her heavenly Father. The journey was difficult, but God kept her from pain. In His mercy, He took her home quickly, and gave her family a last glimpse of her beautiful face. Shortly before her last breath she sat up - wide-eyed - looking at her family then past them to her heavenly home. Following Kathy's passing, George decided to move back to his beloved Galax, and he settled in the Woodlawn area. He found peace and comfort being surrounded by the mountains. George enjoyed working on home renovations and strolling through Lowes for supplies and friendly conversation. To add to his adventures, he started heading south to Myrtle Beach several times a year. His age never seemed to burden him. This was made evident by the countless miles he would frequently ride on his bicycle at the beach and near Mt. Airy. For George, 83 years of life was no excuse for slowing down.

 George was preceded in death by his parents, Dennis Valdez Jr. and Ofelia Morales Valdez. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn Faye Lewis Valdez; her parents, Clyde and Hazel Lewis; and his siblings, Alice Cavaliere, Bill Valdez, Dee Sturgeon, Evelio Valdez, and Faith Hernandez. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Robin & Rob Atkins of Lewisburg, Tennessee, and Denise Johnston-McGuire & Dony McGuire of Old Hickory, Tennessee; sister, Connie Thompson of Tampa, Florida; brother, Harry Valdez of Georgia; grandchildren, Madison & Jared Nester, Victoria Johnston, Noah & Erikka Johnston, Abrianna Johnston, and River Johnston; great-grandchildren, Lenora Olander, Margot Johnston, and George Johnston (his namesake). A Celebration of Life Service will be held to celebrate George's life and honor Kathy's memory on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in the Vaughan-Guynn Chapel from 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM. The family will receive friends before the service from 10:00 AM until 10:30 AM and after the service from 11:30 AM until 12:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made for memorial plaques to be placed at George and Kathy's former businesses on Main Street. Proceeds will also be donated to the City of Galax for the installation of a new bike rack. Donations can be made payable to George Valdez Estate Memorial and mailed to Skyline National Bank, P.O. Box 795, Galax, VA  24333, or dropped off at their 209 West Grayson Street branch.

THANK YOUS FROM ROBIN, DENISE, AND THEIR FAMILIES: We would like to thank everyone for their loving thoughts and prayers during this transition. We want to extend a special thank you to the Cox family. You made a home away from home for our father and loved him so well. You “did life” with him till the very end and it means so much to us. We are especially thankful to God for showing us there is as much beauty in the “ending” as there is in the “beginning.” Lastly, we want to thank our parents/grandparents for their love and for always thinking of us. Thank you, Mom, for your courage as a Matriarch to lead the way there first and show us that we can go there too. Thank you, Dad, for showing us resilience and for being vulnerable with us these past six years without Mom. We aspire to every good thing that you both demonstrated, and we still feel you here and will see you again in eternity.