Deana: ‘My Favorite Valentine’

“This is a story about my favorite Valentine: my beautiful wife Deana.”

Deana was born in Wichita, KS to Bob & Susan Goree. She has an older sister Lisa and younger sister Lindsay, who are her best friends.

Her soulmate, however, is whom she is married to: her barrel-chested he-man, Bart.

And for Bart, Deana is also his soul mate.

Bart describes her as a jack of all trades. Deana juggles being a Policy Administrator, Contract Administrator, and Project Manager for CHRISTUS, one of the largest hospital systems in San Antonio.

All the while, asking of herself, “What else can I do or provide to make this the best?!” What an amazing woman!

“Deana IS an amazing woman who always creates cheer when she walks into any room. She humbly accepts the many kudos she is constantly showered with, but confronts adversity with fervor and grace,” Bart said.

She is a sincerely caring woman and is always available for her closest friends and family, even when they just need someone to listen.

During her free time, she can be seen using her equestrian prowess, volunteering to enrich the lives of her community members with special needs through the Upward Transitions Therapeutic Horsemanship program.

And when she’s not helping others, she loves spending time with the people she loves. One of her favorite activities to do is to go to the cinema with her sister, Lisa…and only few of us know that the movie is simply an alibi just to get the popcorn.

When spending time together, Deana and Bart love to explore new places, enjoy movies and watch football games together. Bart especially loves to sous chef for Deana. In addition to providing another opportunity to spend time together, Bart cannot hide his pleasure from the yumminess Deana creates.

Anything that they do together is a treasured memory.

One of Bart’s fondest was when they took a cross country trip from Florida to California in Old Blue. During their trip, they were constantly moving the truck contents in and out of the truck bed at every hotel. It ended up being a great adventure for them both. They were able to strengthen their relationship even more.

However, their three years in Panama was the best start to a marriage anyone could hope for. “It was like a three-year honeymoon,” Bart said. The time spent across these few years gave the pair the opportunity to understand and elevate each other into the beautiful couple they are today.

There are infinite ways that Deana makes Bart a better person. But above all, “Her patience, understanding, & unconditional love have allowed me to be honest & willing to share all my feelings,” Bart said.

He knew that Deana was the woman he’d been looking for his whole life on their very first date in Destin on the beach. Her ability to listen to him and accept him for who he was touched his heart.

“I knew Deana was the one as she listened to my new honesty,” Bart said. “She accepted me with love, regardless of my many flaws.”

For that, Deana will always be Bart’s one and only; his forever Valentine.

“There’s no other woman in the world who could ever love me the way you do! The ONLY Valentine for me!” – Bart