Mary Valla Thorp

Mary Valli Thorp has taken her final bow at the age of 74, leaving us on March 9, 2026, after a life well-lived and well-loved. Born on November 11, 1951, in the cozy town of Kerrville, Texas, Lola Mary Tinney and William Robert Middleton Jr who both preceded her in death. Mary passed away peacefully in San Angelo, Texas, surrounded by the love and stories of the family she cherished deeply.

Her journey began by saying "I do" to her soulmate, Melvin Eugene Thorp Sr., on a summer day in 1972. Together, they crafted a love story filled with adventures and laughter, and raised a family that became her pride and joy. Melvin Eugene Thorp Jr., the trailblazer with his wife Hope, Clay Altus Thorp, the heart-warmer with his wife Ashley, and William Nathaniel Thorp, the free spirit with his partner Cathleen, all inherit her boundless love and irrepressible spirit.

Mary was a woman of many talents, with a career that was as varied as her interests. Whether it be healthcare, transportation, or education, her career tended to involve taking care of others. But the role she played to standing ovation was the matriarch of her family, orchestrating a household filled with warmth, wisdom, and wit.

Mary's legacy lives on not just in memories but in the laughter of her grandchildren, Garrett Wade and Mckennon Lee, Kateri Marie, and the wonder in the eyes of her great-grandchildren, Sadie Lea Pullen and River Ray. Her love story is immortalized in the numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews who had the honor of her time and tales.

The intelligence and thoughtfulness of Mary shone through in her later years when she achieved her lifelong dream of earning her degree in 2015. A testament to her belief that it's never too late to chase your dreams or to school the younger generation in the art of the Twist.

Mary is survived by brothers, William Middleton III with wife Dorthy, and Hubert Middleton Sr with wife Mary Jean, along with her sister Sharon Middleton.

Mary's sense of humor was as infectious as her compassion was deep. She could find the funny in the mundane and the joy in the everyday. She was the woman who taught us all that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away-like nailing the perfect Twist move on the dance floor at a family gathering.

Mary Valli Thorp's curtain call may have come, but the show of her life will continue to play on in the hearts and smiles of those who had the pleasure of knowing her. She danced, she laughed, she loved, and oh, how she lived. Let's give a standing ovation for a life beautifully performed and a legacy that will keep on giving joy, one twist at a time. An intimate celebration of life will be held at a date TBD.

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.