With a beautiful and infectious spirit, Valerie Ann Berger McKinney, was born February 21, 1959 in Lakewood, Ohio, and died in Princeton, New Jersey on May 19, 2025 at the age of 66 of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
An adored wife of 43 years to James “Jim” McKinney; loving mother to Mitchell (Nancy) McKinney and Ellen (Greg) Vandeloo; doting grandmother to Madelyn McKinney, Harper Vandeloo, Maxwell McKinney, and Olivia Vandeloo; devoted sister to Gregory (Phoebe) Berger, Jeff Berger and Nancy Johnson; attentive aunt to Fritz (Elizabeth) Schaub, Rachel Johnson and David (Ginny) Johnson; fond sister-in-law to Susan Laurence, and a steadfast enthusiastic personal friend to all she met.
Valerie’s parents, Wanda G. (Richardson) Talmage and Jack H. Berger, predeceased her.
All who knew her cherished Valerie for her compelling and compassionate personality, which bridged all facets of her life. In work, personal life, civic engagements, and with family and friends, she was generous, curious, offering a dry sense of humor, and a clear sense of direction as a leader. Big hearted but intolerant of bullshit.
She was proud of her lifelong mission of empowering women at every age, a legacy that lives on with all she touched.
Valerie’s blood was Girl Scout Green from her dedication to scouting and its positive impact on young women. At the age of 23, she started her own Girl Scout troop in an economically challenged part of Evansville, Indiana where she was a leader for 28 years. She became a board member of the Girl Scouts of Southwestern Indiana, serving for 18 years and eventually as President of the Board. She led her young women in camping locally as well as internationally with trips to Mexico, Great Britain, France and Switzerland. In recognition of her service to Girl Scouting, she was awarded the Thanks Badge II, the highest honor given to a Girl Scout volunteer.
Valerie created the McKinney Fund to pay for girls to be in scouting, securing troop leadership in neighborhoods where there was a shortage of able-bodied leaders, and a scholarship for young women in need of financial support to go to college upon their having achieved the highest recognition in scouting (the Gold Award).
Of course, scouting was of value in her home life. Valerie bragged that she was the best builder of bonfires on frigid fall nights.
In her professional career Valerie was known for her compassion and love for her peers and subordinates. Most important was her leadership and encouragement of rising women teaching them leadership skills while instilling personal belief in themselves and confidence to be strategic achievers. At her alma mater, Purdue, she created the McKinney Scholarship to provide undergraduate scholarships for female students enrolled in the university’s Integrated Business and Engineering Program.
Valerie graduated from Fairmont East High School in 1977 where she achieved outstanding scholastic accomplishments. She was President of the Student Council, a cheerleader, and actively engaged in numerous extracurricular civic activities. This culminated in her receiving the highly esteemed Rayburn Award for the school’s Senior Student Body Leader of the Year.
Enrolling at Purdue University, Valerie’s heart and soul was her Pi Beta Phi sorority where she became Social Chairman, a role she maintained for her class in the following decades. She served on the Senior Board for the Grand Prix Kart Race as the Ambassador in charge of Purdue Grand Prix campus activities. All while achieving her degree in Industrial Engineering in1981.
Following graduation, Valerie moved to Evansville, IN to work at ALCOA as a Senior Industrial Engineer. In 1994 she became a Senior Industrial Engineer at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She rose to Pharmaceutical Packaging Director, Plant Manager, Operations Director for Distribution, and ultimately moved to BMS offices in New Jersey to become Logistics Lead, and Global Serialization Business Integration Lead.
In 2014, after retiring from BMS, Valerie joined the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies, U.S. team to become Director of Supply Chain. Eventually she ascended to the position of Executive Director of Commercial Manufacturing Operations. Reflecting on her career at Otsuka, her heritage was best known for coaching and mentoring others to realize their potential. She had the ability to recognize and cherish each person’s best strengths before they could see it in themselves.
Beyond Valerie’s dedication to her family, she served as President of the Junior League of Evansville, was on the Evansville Board of Public Works, in Princeton and Evansville served on the Leadership Team for the Fund for Women and Girls of the respective community foundations, and engaged in numerous other civic organizations.
Valerie’s big heart was not only a gift to her fellow humans, but also to furry and feathered creatures of all kinds. Truly, she never met a dog she didn’t love. Many pleasant afternoon strolls were interrupted by her necessity to pet every dog on the walking path. Her much-loved pet labradors, Snickers and Emily, will keep her company for eternity.
In lieu of flowers, Valerie requested donations to either McKinney Fund for Girl Scouts – GSSI, 5000 E. Virginia Street, Evansville, IN 47715 or the ALS Association, 1300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209.
