Victoria Sweeney

1957 - 2022

Victoria Sweeney

09/05/1957 - 10/30/2022

Victoria Kay Van Liere Sweeney, 65, passed away on October 30, 2022 after a six-year battle with stage 4 colon cancer.

Vicki was born on September 5, 1957 in Sioux Falls, SD to Don and Donna (Emery) Van Liere. She grew up in Brookings, SD where she graduated high school and then attended South Dakota State University (Go Jacks!) before transferring to the University of South Dakota where she achieved her Bachelor's Degree. She then migrated to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas to work on a graduate degree in Criminal Justice. While there, she was employed as a Hall Director in the Department of Residence Life. During this period, she attended a professional conference and met her future husband, Tim Sweeney.

After completing her graduate class work in 1982, she was hired as a an Adult Felony Probation Officer for Brazos County, Texas. She would serve in this capacity for the next 32 years, retiring in 2014. During her career she made many lifelong friends, many of whom have reached out to our family in the last several days.

On June 25, 1983 Vicki married Tim Sweeney in Bryan, Texas and they would make their home in the Bryan-College Station, Texas area for the next 35 years. In August, 1985 a son, Ryan Joseph, was born to the young couple. Vicki wanted us to emphasize that she felt her greatest accomplishment was having a family. Her other great passion became college sports, specifically Texas Aggie Football. Vicki and Tim were Aggie football home game ticket holders for 30 plus years. During this time Vicki and Tim joined several football tailgate groups for home games eventually becoming charter members of "AGS (Aggie Grilling Squad)". Whether the Aggies won or were "outscored", Vicki had many great memories from those outings.

Upon Vicki's retirement as a Probation Officer and Tim's retirement in 2015, the family moved to Rapid City, SD and Vicki's beloved Black Hills. This allowed her to gather with her Rapid City family and for her son, Ryan, to join Black Hills Works. Vicki was also able to practice her excellent culinary skills for family gatherings.

Vicki was a devoted wife, mother, sister and friend. She was preceded in death by her father Don Van Liere and her mother Donna Van Liere.

Vicki is survived by her loving husband, Tim Sweeney; son, Ryan Sweeney; brothers Tim Van Liere and Todd Van Liere; sister, Marci Bachman; brother and sister-in-law, Pat and Rena Sweeney; nephews, Vincent Van Liere; Mitchell Bachman, Clayton Van Liere, Cordell Van Liere; nieces Lilly Sweeney, Catherine Bennett, Rachel Sweeney and Megan Sweeney; sister-in-law Rebekkah Van Liere and brother-in-law Mark Bachman.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance at www.ccalliance.org or physical address: 1025 Vermont Ave NW Suite 1066, Washington, DC 20005, or Black Hills Works, 514 Mt. Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD 57701. Black Hills Works is an organization that serves adults with disabilities, including Vicki's son.

Visitation will be held from 10am - 11am, with funeral services starting at 11am on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at South Canyon Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD. Burial at Pine Lawn Memorial Park. Kirk Funeral Home.