Valerie Ota

Valerie Mae (nee Paurus) Ota, age 30 of Brooklyn, NY, formerly of Cottage Grove, passed away unexpectedly April 3, 2015.

Service will be 11:00 am Thursday, April 9, 2015 at The Alley, 8944 Indahl Ave. S., Cottage Grove. Visitation will be 4-8 pm Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at Kok Funeral Home-St. Paul Park Chapel, 1201 Portland Avenue and also one hour prior to service at church.

*** In lieu of flowers that fade, the family prefers gifts that will keep on giving. The desire of Valerie was micro development which would enable people to eat healthy food produced by farmers making a living in a way that would replenish the soil. Memorials will be applied to the projects that she was passionate about in Malawi, the Philippines, and the inner city of Chicago. ***

Valerie was born December 3, 1984 in Rochester, Minnesota. She graduated from Park High School, Cottage Grove, Minnesota in 2003. Following a year serving Youth With a Mission in London and Argentina, Valerie attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. In 2008 she graduated with honors in Anthropology. For the next 4 years, Valerie lived in the Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago developing a nutrition/medical connection between families and the public school, as she worked for AmeriCorps and other neighborhood organizations.

In 2012 Valerie married Takamasa Ota. They moved to Boston to pursue a Master's in Nutrition Science graduating with honors from Tuft's University. Valerie wanted to make a global difference in how food was produced and starving nations would be fed in fact spent 5 weeks in Malawi, writing and being published for a research project. In 2014 she was accepted into Cornell University, New York to pursue doctorate in Sociology.

An amazing student and learner, Valerie loved family, committed herself to maintaining many friendships and passionately pursued her interests. Throughout her pre college years, she loved and played competitive soccer, as well as captained Park High's soccer team in 2002. Travel was a significant interest for Val. She went to nine different countries in her travels in the past 10 years. In 6 of those countries she wanted to love people, to understand their culture and to share the love of Jesus Christ. Valerie LOVED to dance whether it was swing, salsa or African. But hiking, biking, and cooking with the love of her life, Taka, topped her interests and hobbies.

This was a woman of character and insight. Valerie knew Jesus and how much He loved her and the world. She is known for her fun, bright spirit, warm compassionate heart and ever-ready adventurous zest for life. As seen in the timeline of her life, she demonstrated tenacity, determination, global-mindedness, and commitment to be useful to this world.

Oh Valerie we miss you. Along with the world we are at a grievous loss with you gone!

Valerie is survived by her husband Takamasa Ota; parents, Paul and Colleen Paurus; brother Jacob (Lindy); sister Melanie; brother Isaac and maternal grandparents, Edward and Irene Fasching. She is preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Leslie and Marion Paurus.