Valarie Sue Cooper

A celebration of life for Valarie Sue Cooper will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025 at Walnut Grove Cemetery,10955 FM 344, Whitehouse, Texas 75791, with Dr. Shelby Davidson officiating, under the direction of Hilliard Funeral Home.

Valarie Sue Thedford Cooper was born on November 22, 1948, in Tyler, Texas, and spent her life in the Whitehouse/Tyler/Noonday community. She grew up on her family's dairy farm in Noonday and formed her lifelong love of cows, country views, and the beautiful East Texas rolling hills and open spaces.

She met the love of her life, Tommy Cooper, in middle school and they were inseparable ever since. Sue and Tommy were married in 1969, growing a love and life together that endured for more than 60 years. After graduation from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler, Sue and Tommy continued their education at Tyler Junior College and then Stephen F. Austin State University. Sue was the top ranking senior for the bachelor's class of 1971 at SFA before going on to complete her master's degree in mathematics at SFA in 1973, all alongside Tommy.

After completing her master's, Sue taught high school math in Nacogdoches, Texas. She not only ran a tight ship in the math department, but she left her mark by advocating and then later tasked with rewriting the school district's maternity leave policy. With her efforts all female teachers that came after her would have the option to continue their careers even after starting a family (something that wasn't very common in the 1970s!). In 1975 Sue moved to Whitehouse to teach math alongside Tommy, at Whitehouse High School where they made up the entire math department. After several years teaching, she decided to flex her math and engineering mindset and switched careers, moving to the oil industry, building a 35 year career with Amoco/British Petroleum (BP). She started as an engineering assistant and retired as the safety and integrity manager for the East Texas and Louisiana region. At that time she was the only female to work in the East Texas oil fields, and as such appeared in many company promotional materials and even national commercials and advertisements. She never met a spreadsheet she couldn't improve or a younger co-worker she couldn't mentor. At the ripe young age of 67, BP had the nerve to ask her to retire, which she gladly accepted. She then spent her free time soaking up new hobbies including being Nana to her 6 grandchildren, passionately volunteering in both politics and with her church's food pantry and pumpkin patch, and re-entering her dancing days with barre and clogg classes.

Sue's spirit was unmatched. Anyone who met her knew that if you didn't agree with her, maybe it was best to just keep that to yourself, or she would make sure you understood all the ways and reasons her way was the best (and only) way. Sue carried that passion with her in everything she did, most importantly to her family, always making sure Tommy had everything he needed and wanted, that her daughters grew up to be strong independent women. She was very proud that her daughters were both a Medical Doctor and Lawyer, but her passion and advocacy for making sure women were educated and financially independent didn't stop with family. She grew deep friendships and mentorships with many young women in her life to help them reach similar goals. Her love for all six of her grandchildren was immense and she made sure they never heard the word no from her lips.

Her final years were spent showing everyone around her what strength, determination, bravery, and grace were as she battled ALS. She was able to fight this brave fight in her home because of the care of many amazing and loving caregivers. Her caregivers became family to her and she not only valued their friendships, but she also continued to mentor them too until the very end. Sue passed away at the age of 76 on September 16, 2025 at home with Tommy by her side. She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin Thedford and Ruth Rumph Thedford; sister, Carol Lane; and niece, Ashley Turner.

Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Thomas "Tommy" Cooper, of Whitehouse; two daughters and sons-in-law, Rani Cooper & Bet Escalante of Fulshear and Carol Ina & Nathan Neely of Humble; sisters and brothers-in-law, Regina & Monroe Kirby of Chapel Hill and Jessie & David Enright of Whitehouse; sister-in-law, Debbie Johnson and husband, Don Robert of Tyler; six grandchildren, Brynden Escalante, Bree Ella Escalante, Blaine Escalante, Thomas Neely, Cooper Neely, and Thedford "Teddy" Neely; and many nieces and nephews.

If desired and in lou of flowers, memorials may be made in Sue's name to The Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, Texas 75701, or to the "I am ALS" organization at IamALS.org.