Cynthia Ray Thompson Whatley

Cynthia Ray Thompson Whatley of Vega, Texas and Alto, New Mexico, died July 2, 2020 in Tucson Arizona.

Memorial services will be 2:00 PM Thursday, August 6, 2020 at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel with Rev. Vondel Stevens, pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church, officiating.  Arrangements are under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.

Cynthia was born June 1, 1938, she was 82 years old. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Thompson was raised in Vega, Texas and spent many summers on the river in the upper canyon of Ruidoso. She left high school after her junior year and went to Colby College in Maine for the summer to study German. Returning to Texas she entered West Texas State College and graduated with a BA degree in Political Science and a MA degree in Economics. Cynthia was introduced to David Whatley from Pampa by her cousin John VanMeter of Vega in the Fall of 1955. Cynthia and David were married in January 1960 at the Joseph A Hill Memorial Chapel on the campus of WT. They moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he began his career in the US Army as a commissioned officer. During their 20 years in the Army she worked as a librarian at Fort Sill, completed a management intern program with the Air Force, became a position and pay management specialist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, then moving to the Pentagon and later to Germany. During this time, she also completed the core graduate courses in Public Personnel Management at The George Washington University. One evening while nearing the New Executive Office Building for one of her classes, she ducked as the guard opened the door for her and the rock thrown by a protester just missed her. She reported to the Pentagon during the May Day 1971 riots and found the hall outside her office lined with armed troops. While working for the US Army Recruiting Command north of Chicago, she was selected to attend the residential Middle Management Program at Simmons College in Boston. After service as the Personnel Officer for the Savanna Army Depot and Ammunition Safety Training Center in Illinois, Cynthia returned to the Washington DC area as chief of management employee and labor relations stationed in Northern Virginia.

Her husband David retired from the Army and they moved to Ruidoso, New Mexico where they owned and operated the H&R Block income tax office for 16 years. She insisted that they begin using computers which were not that great then and she designed her own accounting and reporting program for information going to the district manager. The year they sold the business it was awarded the best office in the two-state region. At the time of her death they had been married for a little over 60 years.

Her interests were cooking, weaving, beading, sewing, and almost any kind of textile work. She was a member of the Handweavers Guild of America and sold some of her creations through a shop in Ruidoso. Travel was important and she was able to visit much of Europe, North Africa, and the far western parts of China. She loved getting in their motorhome and hitting the road to mountains or anywhere along the Gulf Coast.

Cynthia is survived by her husband and his brother, Bob and his wife Linda of Pampa and their children, Amber Ickles and husband Chris and Paxton Whatley and his wife Kari and their children, all who live in Bushland. Also surviving is sister, Judy Stevens of Brownwood, two of her sons, Kent Stevens and wife Carolyn of West, Texas and their children and Scott Stevens of Amarillo. Two more good family members, Jan Stevens Davis and her husband Terry of Kennedale, Texas and their children and Vondel Stevens of Pampa and the son of Scott and Vondel. Lastly there are six cousins still alive. Cynthia loved all of these folks and especially believed they were all handsome, and that their children and grandchildren were way above average.

For their superb care and consideration, especially during the Virus-19 pandemic, the family wishes to thank the Memory Care unit at Sage Desert, Agape Hospice and Angel Valley Funeral Home in Tucson.