Valerie Wilson

* Paraprofessional
* P721K Occupational Training Center

She had style, she had moves, she had a caring character and she had a school community that loved her. Valerie Wilson, a 65-year-old paraprofessional, indeed will be missed by students and staff at the PS 721 Occupational Training Center in Brooklyn.

“She was like a mother to everyone,” teacher Eminem Bicer said. “She was an amazing listener. You would forget all your problems around her.”

Valerie loved helping others, particularly the students in her care. She loved to show off her sense of fashion and exuded positive energy everywhere she went.

Aliyah Ladson, a lifelong friend of Valerie’s, said she was warm and caring. “Since I was a little girl, she acted as an older sister for me, looking out for me in the neighborhood to make sure I did not get into any trouble,” she said. “As an adult, she was still checking in and sending spiritual words.”

Valerie also enjoyed dancing and traveling. Her husband was planning to take her on her dream vacation, a cruise to the Bahamas, as a gift for her 66th birthday. The cruise, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis, had originally been scheduled to leave on April 16 — nine days after Valerie’s death.

Besides her husband, Valerie is survived by two sons and a daughter.