Palisades, NY - Tappan Location

Fernando Antonio Valverde, son of the late Mario Valverde and the late Maria Theresa Alvarez Perello, died peacefully at home on February 6, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marilyn Bartlett Valverde, his three sons, David (Janice), Daniel (Tamar), and Edward (Kathleen). He is also survived by three grandsons, Steven, Alexander, and Damian, and five step-grandchildren, Corey, Denise, Jillian, Desmond, and Arianna (Cole). He also raised a daughter, Diane (Edward), deceased as of 1998 and a grandson, Tyler, deceased as of 1998.

Fernando was born on June 5, 1925 in the Dominican Republic, in the city of Santiago. He had two sisters, Gilda and Maria Theresa, and a brother, Mario. He graduated from the University of Santo Domingo, and after medical school, began his career as a surgeon in the Dominican Republic before emigrating to the United States. Fernando achieved mastery of a new language and culture while advancing his career through focus and perseverance. He trained at New York Medical College in anesthesiology and achieved his objective of becoming a respected practicing physician in the United States, later attaining US Citizenship.

While doing an internship at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, he met Marilyn Bartlett, who was employed there as a nurse. Their romance began when she fancied this bright, handsome man, whom she helped to navigate his new environment. He shared his playful side with small, romantic practical jokes, and they quickly fell in love and married on December 12, 1959. He continued his practice of medicine at Lincoln Hospital in New York City for 20 years and retired in 1990.

For those who knew him, Fernando was pleasant, reserved, stoic, and proud. To those close to him, he showed a sly sense of humor, and could be playful and silly at times. He had a passion for music, and, as technology advanced, he built his own stereo amplifier and receiver from kits and later wired his home for sound. He built a substantial collection of vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs that he spent many hours enjoying. He also enjoyed baseball, and was an enthusiastic Yankees fan, which became a favored focus in his retirement. His oldest grandson is an active baseball fan, influenced by his grandfather's visits to his Little League games and the time they spent watching baseball together, both at the ballpark and on television. Fernando also enjoyed reading and learning from books. As a teenager, he enjoyed the speculative fiction of Jules Verne, but as an adult he tended to favor news and educational material, and would read even magazine articles with careful attention—his family would often find that the most salient ideas from an article he'd read had been carefully underlined.

Fernando was a caring husband and father. He was sweet with his young children, making creative lunches of peanut butter and ham, while his wife worked and he studied for his exams. Fernando was responsible with his money, never extravagant, ensuring that he could pay his children's way through college. He was very generous when he earned the financial comfort that permitted him to be so.

Fernando will always be remembered for his devotion to his loved ones and his impressive career, his careful, thoughtful, and gentle manner, and his light-hearted side. He will be deeply missed.

A celebration of his life will be held from 1-3 pm on Saturday, February 19th, at Moritz Funeral Home, 98 Route 303, Tappan, NY.