Abstract: A valve assembly and associated assembly method includes a housing receiving a valve member for movement between open and closed positions. A packing received around the valve member has at least first and second openings in a sidewall thereof and a third opening that has an original unstretched opening dimension smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of the valve member forcibly inserted through the third opening and thereby enlarges the third opening to a stretched opening dimension. A packing gland engages the packing, and at least one of the packing gland and packing has a non-planar surface that urges the stretched opening dimension of the third opening of the packing toward the original unstretched dimension after the valve member is assembled in the packing.