In the late afternoon of August 3, 2022, Valerie Francis Doka-Niznak, 74, passed away in South Bend due to stage 3 kidney disease with her cousin’s Dawn Kerestury, Melanie Brennan and Nicole (Kurt, Lily) Vanlandingham, Dalton Bergeron and Anna Shidler a close friend by her side.  Valerie was born in South Bend, IN on December 5, 1947, to the late Frank and Angela (Horvath) Doka.  Valerie is survived by her brother, Eric (Alexandria) Doka of Henderson, NV and her estranged Husband, Paul Niznak.  Valerie attended Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Divinity College.  She then worked and put herself through college for two Master’s Degrees. While employed, she started a Mission which gave out Food and clothing; started a Medical Transportation System in two counties. She was a therapist, a family counselor, and a counselor for disadvantaged children working for the State of Michigan, where she lived most of her adult life. She enjoyed going to Shipshewana.  Valerie loved reading and writing books and had one recently published, which was called The Tarnished Jewel.   In late elementary school, she hand wrote her first copy of The Tarnished Jewel.  Over a twenty year period she kept a notebook and wrote ideas to add to her rewrite of the Tarnished Jewel. After retiring, she slowly re-wrote a more mature version yet still a sweet little book.

She loved going every spring to get her flowers to plant around her home, she loved the water and her beloved cats, Veda Blue and Rusty. 

Valerie will be greatly missed by her family and friends.  She was a wonderful, loving, caring woman.

There will be no formal services.  Valerie will be laid to rest in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy, Michigan on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 1:00PM

To leave an online condolence or to share a memory, please visit www.hahnfuneralhomes.com.