Valerie Louise Buell

BUELL, Valerie Louise- February 16, 1953 – October 14, 2024. Sadly, our family said our goodbyes to Valerie on Sunday, October 14 as she graduated to a higher and better place. She was greeted with open arms by our dad, Edward James (Ted) Buell, and sisters, Sherry Chevers and Jackie Jackson. Our memories will be filled with Val’s passion towards animals and her determination to advise us all about every Lunar Cycle. The young cheerleader from Westlane High School in Niagara Falls, Ontario, made her mind up to lead her life in her own manner. She could have vied for the 9-5, but she forged a path of her own making. She started with being the co-proprietor of one of the most popular bar/restaurants in Chippawa, Ontario (Chippawa House aka Friends) and then travelled to California to become sole owner of an ice cream and sandwich shop (Sandcastles) on a popular surfing beach. She managed to ride a bicycle from SoCal all the way to Canada with two friends. Not as experienced a rider as her companions, she pedaled a great many of those miles by herself. Not giving up, she would catch up with them at the next stop. This experience gave her the confidence she needed to take life by the horns on her own in her own way. Texas became the next stop on the journey. Val, always a lover of animals, started her own mini farm in Spicewood, TX, a stone’s throw from Lake Travis. Val’s new furry ensemble included donkeys, goats, peacocks, dogs, cats, doves and a mean one-eyed rooster. Seventeen in all at one time. Not that taking care of her own herd was enough, she balanced her time between being a mail carrier and working at a horse rehabilitation farm down the road where horses with mobility issues came for treatment. Val truly loved caring for these sick horses on their road to recovery. Val would always take on a pet-sitting job if given the opportunity. She discovered that this could become a unique way to make a living, stay close to her furry friends and maintain her independence. After leaving Spicewood, her next home was living in an apartment above a barn in Kingsland, TX, taking care of a stable full of rescue horses. In the last years of Val’s life, she obtained a loyal set of clients who always thought of Val first to watch over their four-legged family members when they were away. Val would go as far as to travel to Louisiana to take care of a family of five dogs and two cats. Everyone knew of Val’s love for animals and trusted her with their care. Valerie is survived by her mother, Helen Louise Buell Cooper Fry, her daughter Terri Lee Buell, her grandson Jacob Walford, his wife Hanna and her great grandchildren, Liam and Jace, and her siblings Kathy Munroe (Wayne), Tex Buell (Debbie), Judi Blue, Steve Buell (Kara). Val is also leaving behind many nieces, nephews and friends who loved and cared about her dearly. The family will have a Celebration of Life on November 23, 2024 in Leander, TX and another in Chippawa, Ontario in January – date tbd . In lieu of flowers and in honor of Val’s love for horses, please send donations to Open My World Equine Therapy Center which is located near her mother and sister’s home in Leander TX.

Valerie Louise Buell

February 16, 1953 - October 14, 2024