ForeverMissed
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Wish I had known Paul longer. He was my biggest advocate to help WCTV get off the ground. His work has created a path for Walnut Creek TV to be strong and carry his dream of government transparency into the future. You are missed so much at City Hall.
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Paul Valle-Riestra, 52 years old, born on May 13, 1959, and passed away on May 26, 2011. We will remember him forever.

Tributes

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Alice Valle-Riestra
May 27, 2014
May 27, 2014
Somehow 3 years have passed now since you had to move on... Jenna is finishing High School and going on to college soon. She's taken up photography and doing very artistic work and was Varsity Cheer Captain this year. Cara is nearly as tall as me, playing soccer and still acing her math tests:) It's not the same without you... but you've colored our world and filled our hearts forever. Love you...
Julia Younger
May 26, 2014
May 26, 2014
We miss you Paul. We are blessed with your memories and the joy we have spending with Alice, Jenna and Cara. You are always in our thoughts!
Rachel Gilman
May 26, 2014
May 26, 2014
I have wonderful memories of spending time with Paul. He was always so lovely to be with - interesting conversation and a loving man. One time that stands out was when the family visited my husband and I (and baby Fenton on the way!) in London prior to going on a family trip. Such great memories or good times.
Mary Tang
May 26, 2014
May 26, 2014
I met Paul through Jenna when she was on a baseball team with my son. Jenna improved a lot during the season. When I complimented her she told me that she had been working with her father. I could see from the smiles on Jenna's and Paul's faces that they were pleased that the hard work had paid off. Clearly they had enjoyed their time together. I was touched by the bond between them and impressed by what a great dad Paul was. A few years later I got to know Paul through community pursuits in our neighborhood. He was a strong leader, a fair and moral person, funny, kind, smart, hard-working, dedicated to others . . . I miss him still.
Gerald Sutliff
May 16, 2014
May 16, 2014
Paul was many wonderful things but two standout for me. First, as a loving father I could not have asked for a better husband for my beloved daughter, Alice. Second when it came time to step up to the plate, with respect to taking on responsibility Levi Levi, Paul did not shirk! I remember Levi saying, " Don't ever lie to Uncle Paul".
Pat Vlnar
May 15, 2014
May 15, 2014
Paul, Even though I never met you, I know your wife and have met your beautiful children. You have left your legacy to live and grow in them. Your wisdom and kindness will be passed on through the generations.
Janell Lumley
May 15, 2014
May 15, 2014
Paul, the neighborhood. Is not the same. We miss your cheerful smile!
Matt Bolender
May 15, 2014
May 15, 2014
Paul, I can only hope that you are looking down on your legacy and feeling proud of the quality channel and professionalism Gayle, Liz and I have used in creating WCTV. Without your smarts and intervention this channel would never have been created. God bless you and thank you for keeping me in mind when the channel was in its infancy of being created. I have loved my time here and hope to continue the success of WCTV for the next 10-15 years god willing. You are missed so much by so many, especially by those at Natoa.
Julia Younger
May 14, 2014
May 14, 2014
We love the photos and the lovely sentiments. We live through Paul's stories and his wonderful family. You are all blessings to us!

Love, The Younger Family
Melanie Brunner
May 14, 2014
May 14, 2014
Such an incredible man with the biggest heart and the warmest smile - which by the way is carried through in both of your daughters. Happy Happy Birthday, Paul. Thank you for blessing us with your presence, however brief. You are missed.
Jonathan Lowell
May 14, 2014
May 14, 2014
Paul's name was mentioned fondly several times at our annual city attorneys' conference last week. His kindness and professionalism are something we all strive to emulate. He is greatly missed and not forgotten.
Renee Zeimer
June 27, 2012
June 27, 2012
Paul was all good. More than any one memory, it was his essence that made such a lasting impression... his smile, his laugh, his light.
Chris Valle-Riestra
May 31, 2012
May 31, 2012
In truth, the most memories I have of Paul are from childhood. But what I remember clearly is of Paul growing steadily in strength and character from a small boy to an inquisitive and self-reliant youth to an ambitious young man to a successful, mature adult. If I have a regret, it's that we didn't spend more time together when we were able. Never forget to make time for each other.
Joe Tringe
May 29, 2012
May 29, 2012
Paul was amazingly generous, thoughtful and kind person. We miss his calm and cheerful presence every day.
Constance Hoepner
May 28, 2012
May 28, 2012
Paul was one of the most gracious persons I had the pleasure of knowing. Impeccable character, loving heart, comfortable to be with and easy to admire. I will always think of him with fond memories. Aunt C
Kurt Kocourek
May 26, 2012
May 26, 2012
Our nephew Paul, Ingrid and I remember, was a thoroughly friendly and gentle young man.
When he comes to our mind he always has that happy smile playing his face.
Paul, we wish we would have known you better. Alas, the distance!
Levi and Jill Snell
May 26, 2012
May 26, 2012
You left us way too soon Uncle Paul. We think of you everyday and know you are looking down and protecting us. We can't thank you enough for all you've done, we love you so much.
Gerald Sutliff
May 26, 2012
May 26, 2012
Speaking as Alice's father I can't imagine I could ever hope for a better son-in-law, especially for Alice. Not only that he stepped up to bat when we all had a family crisis as when Alice's sister, Lorna, passed and left an orphaned son (Levi, 11). Levi is a successful adult thanks in good measure to Paul's hood skills. We miss him every day.
Matt Sears
May 26, 2012
May 26, 2012
People are complicated. Sometimes good; sometimes less than good. That makes describing them difficult.

Not Paul. It is easy to describe Paul. Always the Best.
Alice Valle-Riestra
December 12, 2011
December 12, 2011
The Paul I knew, had a deep wisdom and keen perception, a quiet strength and kind heart. He had a positive vision and devotion to his family, friends and community. Always calm and grounded, working for what's best for all. Never selfish or brass.

The Paul I knew, keeps me living to be my best...
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Recent Tributes
Alice Valle-Riestra
May 26
May 26
What I wish for you

What I wish for you…
A blanket of love
that forever comforts you
and warms your heart
peace of mind knowing
that you lived a good full life
and you filled it
with great adventures and travels
that you challenged yourself and others
comforted and supported
both strangers and friends
that you held up a mirror
so that we could see
and have faith
in our own strengths and potential
that you brought a calm
to the chaos
a respite for souls
changed forever by your presence
I wish for you
a clear and gentle path
that leads your spirit to a place
where you may live fully in light
a connection to your loved ones
that crosses the threshold of this life
an open door
that keeps us close.

Copyright May, 2011 Alice Valle-Riestra
Dr Jonathan Kramer
May 26
May 26
It's hard to believe you've been gone so long now.. it still seems like yesterday or more accurately a few weeks ago. You left behind a beautiful Legacy from your family and the people you've touched.. including me.
Matt Blake
May 13
May 13
I'm shifting to more mountain biking lately and this seems to bring up memories of our time together more - I recall many adventures in the East Bay along with our momentus ride up Mt. Tam and the less good descent with "over the bars" experiences for John but you survived mostly intact! You even kept riding where I gave up and walked the crazy steep stretches. Anyway, another year of creaking bones you are skipping - we miss you!
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Gallery
Clearing the riff raff off the soccer field, lol. 2009
Jenna's 8th grade graduation at WCI
On our 1st National Brain Tumor Society walk, 2010 in SF Golden Gate Park
Mother's Day at The Cantina, 1994
1980 - Paul posing for his future emplacement on Mt. Rushmore
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Recent stories

I wrote this a long time ago and found it here...

May 13
by Alice Valle-Riestra
Paul went into Hospice on our 21st wedding anniversary and passed a week later, after 1 1/2 years with brain cancer. He was 52 and our girls were only 9 and 15. There was a long time I only got up for them. I wanted to show them they weren't going to lose even more, after losing so much. I was able to keep the house, take them to school, dance lessons and soccer... little things that hopefully provided some sense of stability. I lost my partner and best friend, and it seemed, my future. The girls had unbelievably lost their dad. Levi was in a sub in the middle of the ocean somewhere at the time. Everything looked different and was now unknown, other then our suffering.  

The Cable Enforcer

May 26, 2021
by Matt Bolender
Paul was amazing. His knowledge and energy in keeping the cable giants in check created so much in Walnut Creek. I had just started with the City of Walnut Creek after a downsizing by Comcast. I had worked with Comcast for 17 years as a producer and technician for the Walnut Creek Studio Channel 6. Comcast was not interested in staying in the community relations/community video world and the City was being asked to take over their meetings and channel.
Paul, Patrice Olds and I had lunch at McCoveys and I was still employed by Comcast. I really had no idea of what was happening, but that lunch was a sort of feeling out of who I was and what I could bring to the City. Months later I proposed Walnut Creek TV and joined the city and due to Paul’s direction and planning, he was able to negotiate in our franchise with our newest cable provider, Seren/Astound/Wave the use of PEG fees for staffing. This was a milestone of sorts and I am yet to hear of another cable provider bowing to this request.
12 years later and almost the anniversary of my last day with Comcast my Walnut Creek TV team and I have created one of the most popular and most viewed City channels in the state of California.
Our YouTube channel has the most views and our productions have won countless awards and acclaim from the area. We were also the first channel in our zone to go 16x9 aspect ratio in the Contra CostaArea. Thank you Paul for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to work for such a great City! 
I hope you are smiling down on our work at Walnut Creek TV.

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