They don't make guys like me in France

Goshen — On October 2, 2004, Rudy Vallet lost his battle with leukemia. Claude Vallet lost her husband, Jean-Paul and Noelle their father, and Cassandra, Juliette, and Gavin their grandfather. A teacher, sportsman, environmentalist, and friend to many, Rudy meant the world to those who knew and loved him best. Born in 1941, he was the middle child of Prosper and Livia Vallet, immigrants from Austa, an Italian region near the French border. He had an older sister, Rosalie. Sister Denise was the baby, 11 years his junior. The Vallets lived in Manhattan, where his father owned the brownstone the family lived in along with several other apartment buildings. Rudy's ties to Goshen go back to his early childhood. His father brought the family up to Goshen in the 1940s and ‘50s for hunting and fishing trips. Longtime friend Jerry Killenberger said these trips were the beginning of Rudy's life as a naturalist and an outdoorsman. The Vallets stayed at the Lakeville Inn at the end of Fletcher Street and soon became friends with the owners. Later, the family purchased a vacation home on Fletcher Street, and it became their permanent address in 1965. This was also the year that Claude, an accomplished dancer, came to Goshen from her native France to take a yearlong position teaching ballet at the Marya Kennett School of Dance. She stayed on Ridge Way with her uncle and aunt, friends and neighbors of the Vallets. According to Jean-Paul, Rudy got word that a French ballerina moved in on the next street, and wasted no time getting over there to meet her. Daughter-in-law Hillary Vallet said Claude never returned to France, as planned — she stayed for Rudy. Jean-Paul laughed. At this point in the story, he said, Rudy would always interject, "They don't have guys like me in France." Rudy and Claude were married in 1968. Rudy received degrees from City College of New York and the State University of New York at New Paltz. He was hired by Chester Junior/Senior High School, where began his 37-year career teaching biology and earth science. Don Dillenbeck, the guidance director at Chester High School, remembers the first day Rudy walked through the door. After he and Interim Principal Bob Van Deusen spoke with Rudy, they afterward remarked, "We have a winner here." Dillenbeck said Rudy had a passion for teaching, and was always "fair-minded, thorough, and well-prepared." Rudy would inject humor into his lessons. Dillenbeck remembers students telling him about the corny jokes Rudy told in class. "Yeah, he did," smiled Jean-Paul. He would be teaching about mushrooms and fungi, and then say, "I'm a fun guy," Jean-Paul recalled. Rudy was known for his signature bow ties. "The crazier the tie, the better," said Marlena Lange, a colleague of Rudy's from Chester High School. Lange recalled that Rudy always had a smile on his face, and a great sense of humor. The kids loved to tease him about his ties. And they really admired him, Lange said. Claude said she received many letters from former students who wrote that Rudy made science fun. They wanted to learn from him. Many also wrote that Rudy was the best teacher they ever had, and some even said they chose their career paths because of his influence. Teaching pervaded Rudy's life. Because of his background in science, and his extensive experience as a hunter, fly-fisherman, and birder, he had a vast knowledge of the environment, said Killenberger. "There was very little he didn't know," he said. By all accounts, Rudy was modest and soft-spoken — "But whatever he said, you could take as fact," Killenberger said. Killenberger and Rudy were Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster for Goshen Pack 63 when their sons were members. Rudy would take the Scouts on nature walks, he said, and was able to identify all of the various leaves, plants, trees, and animals. Jean-Paul added that his father would teach the boys some astronomy as part of these outings, too. "He was the epitome of an outdoorsman," Killenberger said of Rudy. "No one was better." Rich Shannon agrees. He knew Rudy for 20 years from the County Seat Conservation Club, where he and Rudy held offices together. "He was the consummate outdoorsman," Shannon said. "He was what we all strive to be." And it wasn't because Rudy was always ready to grab his gear and go running out to the woods, he said. It was Rudy's comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the environment, coupled with his expansive knowledge of the sport that made him "one of a kind." Shannon recalled taking a trip with Rudy to the Connetquot River on Long Island to fish for trout. It was a long car trip going there, and even longer coming back because of the traffic. But with Rudy, the time flew by. "We had a wonderful time," he said. They talked for hours about the woods, hunting, and life. For Shannon, being with Rudy is what made the trip so enjoyable. "I don't know if I'll go again," he said. "You know that phrase, ‘To know him is to love him?'" Shannon asked. "I know that sounds funny coming from a man, but it's true. I loved the guy, I really did." Rudy was always quick to lend a hand wherever needed, as he did with the annual fishing derby held by the County Seat Conservation Club. He also readily volunteered in a program instituted at Pine Bush High School to expose students to shooting and fly-fishing. Killenberger, a firearms instructor in the program, remembered that Rudy, who taught fly-fishing, was extremely patient, and that young people could sense Rudy's love of the sport and enjoyed learning from him. Carmen Heitczman, the president of the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, remembered Rudy as articulate and well-spoken. He marveled at Rudy's ability to express himself. As the Federation's secretary, Rudy prepared the meeting minutes, and composed many letters on the Federation's behalf. He was also "a gentleman through and through," Heitczman said. No matter how "hot" an issue became, Rudy remained composed and even-tempered. Sandra Kissam is president of the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition (SPARC), a grassroots group formed to protect the lands west of Drury Lane by Stewart Airport as open space. Kissam said that, early on, the coalition reached out to the sportmen's groups for support in their fight to preserve the land. Rudy joined the coalition in 1990, and served as vice-president for ten years. Kissam said Rudy must be remembered not only as an environmentalist, but as an activist. She saw him as the "link" that joined the environmentalists, sportsmen, and birders together. "He was instrumental in forging these bonds and alliances," she said. Kissam was recently named to the Times Herald-Record's list of the county's "40 Most Powerful People." She said, without hesitation, that if Rudy were living, "he would have been right in there with that group." According to Kissam, Rudy brought to the table enormous knowledge of all aspects of the environment. He was able to lead different groups on nature walks through these acres and "interpret the wealth of wildlife and the ecological value of the land," she said. Kissam said his temperament was also an asset for their cause. Although Rudy was just as determined as she was, Kissam said there was a "smoothness and a warmth" about Rudy that helped deliver their message. Kissam describes herself as being more "direct," "painfully honest," and "hard-hitting." "People would go to him for sympathy," she said. "Then we would confer, and decide just how much sympathy we were going to give them." ‘Unwavering' family man Those who knew him well attest he was a superb husband and family man. Kissam remarked, "He was a wonderful parent and family person. I have never seen a man display such unwavering loyalty and devotion." Every night after dinner, Claude said, Rudy would sit on the couch with the children and read a story or two. Noelle recalled that as she and her brother got older, Rudy would have them read the stories to him. Noelle and Jean-Paul recall their Sunday ritual of walking with their dad to the village to buy The New York Times, then stopping at the bakery. In the winter he would sometimes pull them on a sled. Rudy was a somewhat old-fashioned father. As the daughter of the family, Noelle occasionally sensed a bit of a double standard with regard to the way she was raised compared to her brother. Jean-Paul said that, while growing up, he occasionally met some resistance from his father over certain subjects, but that Rudy was always patient, "level-headed," and "non-confrontational." In retrospect, Jean-Paul said his father was right about most of his ideas. Rudy shared his interests with his children. In addition to his outdoor activities, he was a lover of music, and would often have his kids listen to jazz, Broadway show tunes, even John Denver. Noelle has CDs of "Godspell" and John Denver in her car because they remind her of her dad. Rudy was a voracious reader. He admired Ernest Hemingway, who was once a contributor to Field and Stream magazine. Jean-Paul said he read pieces such as Hemingway's "The Big Two-Hearted River" at Rudy's urging. Rudy had a wonderful sense of humor. He would purposely bungle the French language to tease his wife, he told crazy campfire stories to the Cub Scouts, and on at least one occasion, he enjoyed a good-natured prank. Jean-Paul relayed a "classic" story of the time, when Rudy attended a fancy wine and cheese party where the guests would try to outdo each other's offerings. Rudy was completely unpretentious, and wasn't fond of people who were. While managing to keep a straight face, Rudy peeled the foil lid off of a container of spreadable Velveeta cheese, twisted the cap off of a bottle of Thunderbird, set them both on the buffet table, and stood back and watched the reactions. The guests who knew Rudy got the joke, but several people just weren't sure. His ability to be a good father easily translated to his life as a grandfather. Claude said he adored his grandchildren, and loved spending time with them. He and Claude even helped to choose Cassandra's name. Their second granddaughter, Juliette Livia, was named for Rudy's mother, and the little guy, Gavin Rudolph, was named after his grandfather. Hillary told of how Rudy created characters such as Aunt Nelly and Uncle Guido for the little ones. He would don hilarious get-ups with corresponding personas, and sometimes show up at their house like that. The kids loved it and eventually would blow his cover right away. In December 2001, Rudy was diagnosed with leukemia. He went through a monthlong course of chemotherapy at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. After his treatment, doctors recommended a stem-cell transplant as his best bet to prevent a recurrence. His sister, Denise, was a donor match, and he was able to have the stem-cell transplant in June 2002. Rudy recovered and, for a while, he was fine. Noelle herself is a survivor of a childhood bout with leukemia. To honor her father, she joined Team-In-Training, the world's largest endurance sports training program, and the premier fundraiser for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In April of last year, Noelle competed in a triathlon, and her father and the rest of her family went to St. Pete, Florida, to cheer her on. "It was very special," she said. This June, she plans to participate again in honor of her dad. When Rudy's leukemia recurred, Claude said it was a "total surprise." In August, they took a trip north to a wedding in Kennebunkport, Maine, and had a wonderful time traveling around the region for ten days before the event. At the end of the trip, Claude noticed some bruising, or "roses," on Rudy's arm. Rudy had also been experiencing some fatigue, so they went to the doctor a couple of days later. After the recurrence was diagnosed, Rudy went back to Columbia Presbyterian for a few weeks and was expected to recover. But he developed a bacterial infection in his lungs, and doctors explained he would eventually need to be placed on a ventilator. He made a decision Jean-Paul called "very courageous." Rudy said, "This is not life," and chose to forego the ventilator. He died the next day. "We were all hoping and praying he would continue his life with us," Killenberger said. "There's a void in our lives now — he's touched us all." As a New York City firefighter for 33 years, Killenberger said he's seen more than his share of tragedy and loss. The terrorist attacks of September 11 alone claimed the lives of 42 of his comrades. Yet Rudy "still hits the top of the list," he said. Jean-Paul delivered the eulogy at his father's funeral. The one thing he would like people to remember is that Rudy prized the simple things in life. A good meal, time with his family, and the solitude of the woods were what made Rudy happy. Perhaps this is Rudy's last lesson for us all.