Zdeñek “Denny” Valenta, PhD
Professor Emeritus
University of New Brunswick
June 14, 1927 – July 20, 2019
Passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 20, 2019, at Hospice
House Fredericton surrounded by family.
Denny is predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Noreen Valenta
(née Donahoe), his brother Karel and his nephew Luba. He is
survived by his second wife Eva Griew and her children. He is also
survived by his daughter, Dr. Katherine Darvesh (Sultan), his sons Dr.
Richard Valenta (Rosemary Gall) and Dr. Michael Valenta (Krista Biel),
his seven grandchildren, Rozina Darvesh (Peter Burbridge), Noorin
Darvesh, Katie Valenta, Michael Valenta, Daniel Valenta, Matthew
Valenta and Kailyn Valenta and two great-grandchildren Noah and
Gabriel Burbridge and his nephew Roman Valenta. Denny was very close
with Dr. David Coleman (Betsy Van Gaal) and Linda Coleman Metzler
(Sandy), Noreen’s nephew and niece.
Denny was born in Havlíčkuv Brod,
Czechoslovakia. He graduated from grade 13 of the
“gymnasium” (high school) in 1946, and based on the wishes
of his father who owned a flour mill and a factory producing packaged
puddings and potato starch, he then went to Zürich,
Switzerland to study chemistry at the E. T. H. (Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology). He was fully financed by his parents until
the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in February 1948, when all of
his parents’ property was confiscated. From that
point on, he financed his studies by coaching the girls’
basketball team, by summer construction jobs, and through student
loans. In 1950, he went to Fredericton to study at UNB under
the direction of Dr. Karel Wiesner. He received his MSc and PhD in
Chemistry in 1952 and 1953, respectively. His postdoctoral
training at Harvard had to be postponed until 1956, due to
McCarthy-era restrictions on US entry by citizens of communist
countries.
At UNB, he rose through the ranks, becoming full professor
and head of the Chemistry Department in 1963. He headed the
department for 8 years. In 1990 he became a Research
Professor with the department, and was awarded Professor Emeritus in
1994. Denny’s research involved the synthesis and
structure elucidation of natural products. One such project
was the attempt to deal with economically devastating spruce budworm
infestation in New Brunswick by synthesizing analogs of the spruce
budworm pheromone – forming part of the basis for
research still underway in Canada today.
Recognized internationally for his excellence in organic
chemistry research and education, Denny was welcomed world-wide as an
invited speaker at conferences, universities and industrial research
laboratories. He supervised or mentored dozens of students,
many of whom went on to achieve great success. His 1st-year chemistry
and sophomore organic chemistry classes were legendary. He received a
number of awards and honours, including the Union Carbide Award for
Chemical Education in 1989. He was elected a Fellow of both
the Chemical Institute of Canada and the Royal Society of
Canada.
The family would like to thank Drs. MacDonald, Barton,
Scholten, and Sainz, Denny’s friend and housekeeper Joanne
Claydon, Shelley Swift of Gentle Pace Transitions, Dreama, Bayshore
staff, Extramural staff, Heather Jarvis, Penny Pacey, Nurse Vickie
Fulton and Nurse Christine Pethick , Jennifer, and all of his
caregivers from the Shannex staff, Nurse Anita and Nurse Vanessa and
all the staff of Hospice House Fredericton.
Visitation will be at McAdam’s Funeral Home on
Wednesday, July 31, 2019 from 4 to 6 p.m. Denny has donated his body
for medical education and research.
Donations in Denny’s memory may be made to UNB
(Noreen Donahoe Valenta Scholarship in Engineering), the Chalmers
Foundation or Hospice Fredericton.
www.mcadamsfh.com
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Zdeñek Denny Valenta PhD 2019..
Death notice for the town of: Fredericton, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick