Valentina ‘Val’ Sunday

Valentina “Val” Sunday, loved, admired and respected Mexia ISD educator, was called to her heavenly home on July 24, 2019, at the age of 44.  Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 30, at the Mexia High School Auditorium with the Rev. Bryan Hallmark officiating.  Interment will follow in the Old Union Cemetery.  Jarik Watson, Zac Klosterman, Michael McElroy, Jesus Suarez, Konor McNeil and Braiian Lara will serve as pallbearers.  Honorary pallbearers will be the Diamond Athletics Baseball Team.

Visitation with the family will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Mexia.

Val was born Feb. 14, 1975, in Pasadena to Marshall Ray and Consuelo Velasquez Thurman.  She has been a resident of Mexia for the last 15 years, prior to living in Abilene, Waco and Groesbeck.  After graduating from Groesbeck High School, Class of 1993, she received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M in 1998, while also interning for President George Bush Sr., and completed her education earning a Masters from Stephen F. Austin.  

Val’s working career began with an interesting job at Enterprise Car in Waco.  She started at the bottom, worked her way up to Area Manager and was, later, transferred to Abilene to manage the West Texas area.  Through her job at Enterprise, she met the George Bush Jr. family, and many of their associates, when they came to their Crawford home.  They rented their cars from Enterprise and the president wanted only one representative to handle all their transportation needs and that was Val.  She and Cody had the pleasure of having lunch with the first family on numerous occasions and received many personal letters for them.

Soon after the birth of their son, Jake, she became homesick and decided to move back to this area to teach and be close to family. Val began her teaching career with Mexia ISD as an elementary classroom teacher.  Through her dedication, love for students and coworkers and striving to make the school system the best it can be for the betterment of all concerned, she worked her way up to her present job as principal of MHS.  Anytime there was a need for a “take charge person,” you could count on Val.

In addition to her school activities, she was also involved in many civic endeavors, including the Rotary Club of Mexia.

As good as Val was in her job, she was even better as a wife and mother.  She loved traveling around the country with her boys as they played the sport they loved so much, baseball; family vacations revolved around baseball! She was happiest being with her family and doing whatever made them happy.

It was also evident, and easy to see, that Val loved the Lord and was a dedicated Christian by the way she lived her life.  She touched so many lives in so many wonderful ways. Val will truly be missed.

She was preceded in death by her father, Marshall Ray Thurman; brother, Carlos Eligio Trevino; and sister, Mary Frances Thurman.

Val is survived by her loving husband, Cody Sunday of Mexia; sons, Tyler, B.J. and Jake Sunday of Mexia; mother, Consuelo V. Trevino Thurman; siblings, Marina Trevino, Heli Arthur Trevino, Alfred Anthony Trevino, Paul Timothy Trevino, Vincent Paul Thurman, Edward Thomas Thurman, Dennis Eugene Thurman, Christina Ann Thurman and Marshall John Thurman; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Please visit www.blairstubbs.com to leave the family a message of condolence or sign the guest book.