Valerie Jeanette Bivens

James Island - Valerie G. Bivens Entered into eternal rest on Monday, June 22, 2015, Valerie Gratzick Bivens, the widow of Robert Lee Bivens. The relatives and friends of Valerie G. Bivens are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 AM Friday, June 26, 2015, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Folly Beach. The Rite of Committal will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Hwy. on Thursday between 5:00 and 7:00 PM. A Vigil Service will begin at 6:30 PM. Born February 8, 1934 in Charleston, Valerie was a daughter of the late Joseph James and Bertha Josephine Downing Gratzick. A graduate of McClenaghan High School in Florence, SC, she had previously attended Bishop England High School in Charleston. Mrs. Bivens was retired from the R.H. Johnson VA Medical Center, where she served as Chief of Office Operations. She was a lifelong and devout Catholic and was active in church ministries at Our Lady Of Good Counsel Catholic Church. She loved to cook, bake and work in the yard. She would not hesitate to help family or friends that were in need, whether it be her time or other means. She will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched. Valerie is survived by her two sons, Robert Lee Bivens Jr. and Michael Keith Bivens. Donations in Mrs. Bivens' honor may be made to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 56 Center Street, Folly Beach, SC 29439.