Overview
- Valentine’s family said he died peacefully at home using voluntary assisted dying after a two‑year cancer illness, and he is survived by his wife Joanne and their children Ruby and Roy.
- Best known for Afternoons on ABC Radio Sydney, he became a defining voice over more than 20 years on that shift across a 30‑year ABC career in radio and television.
- He announced an oesophageal cancer diagnosis in March 2024, briefly returned to air later that year, learned of further tumours in 2025, and retired in February 2026 to focus on treatment.
- Governor‑General Sam Mostyn confirmed his Member of the Order of Australia was expedited and presented to his children at Admiralty House only days before his death.
- Tributes from colleagues and leaders, including ABC managing director Hugh Marks and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, praised his warmth and connection with listeners, and his family said he chose assisted dying openly to help others understand legal end‑of‑life options.