Valerie Mervyn Bertelli

Valerie Mervyn Bertelli

Aiken, SC – When she answered Pan Am’s call, “Stewardess wanted. Must want the world,” our beloved Valerie embarked on a lifelong journey of love and adventure. Sadly, her earthly journey came to a peaceful close on June 2, 2026, as she rested at home following several health struggles.

Ms. Bertelli was born in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, a proper English girl and the cherished daughter of the late Capt. Mervyn Howard Darling of the Royal Artillery and the late Mrs. Irene Florence Anne Thompson Farrar. An athletic and spirited young woman, she was a member of the Gunnersbury Triangle Tennis Club and competed in the Junior Championships at Wimbledon.

On February 2, 1962, Ms. Bertelli began her career as a flight attendant with Pan American World Airways. At a time when beauty, grace, and charm were intrinsic to the role, her magnetic personality created lasting connections with passengers and colleagues alike. During the Vietnam War, she spent over a decade flying troops in and out of a war zone. In 1975, as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese, Valerie was among the courageous crew members who operated the final 747 evacuation flight, helping to carry the last Americans—and many Vietnamese citizens fleeing for their lives—to safety. She was later recognized in several books for her heroism, including rescuing a young Vietnamese girl during the evacuation.

Following her aviation career, Valerie settled in California, where her lifelong love of horses and animals flourished. She bred and showed Irish Wolfhounds and built a life centered around her passions. It was there she raised her two sons, California Fire Chief Gregory Bertelli and Nicholas Bertelli, both of whom survive her.

Later in life, she followed her son Nick to Aiken, South Carolina, where she continued to enjoy her love of horses and became a cherished member of the community and Peace Lutheran Church.

Ms. Bertelli lived a grand life defined by intentional presence, resilience, and deep connection with others. She will be profoundly missed by all who knew and loved her.

A celebration of life for Valerie Mervyn Bertelli, age 86, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Peace Lutheran Church, in Aiken, followed by a gathering of friends, family, and community at the Green Boundary Club from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in her memory to Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) in Aiken.

www.fotusaiken.org

Please sign the online registry at www.colefuneralhomeinc.net.