Sean Valerga

Sean Kyle Valerga was born in Reno, Nevada, on September 5th, 1995, to Amber Cruz and David Valerga. He passed away at the age of 29 on November 10, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied at Iowa State University.

As Sean’s sister Alexis recalls, “growing up, Sean was a spunky little boy, active, enthusiastic and considered a class clown. He loved to laugh and had a sense of humor that not everyone understood but was funny in his own way. As he grew older, he always had a determination to “get things done”. He was stubborn about certain things: however, he was easy to communicate with. Sean was considered an animal lover and took great care of his pets.

At the age of 9, Sean received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized. As he grew older, his aspirations grew as well. He loved all things politics and excelled in school. As a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Virginia, Wise, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Government and a minor in Pre-law. Sean received a full tuition to attend a master’s program abroad for Politics, Philosophy and Economics at CERVO Institute in Prague, Czech Republic.

He volunteered and worked with several political figures and politicians. Sean believed in the political process and the American dream so much that he drove from Tennessee to Iowa days before his death just so he could cast his vote for this past election. Although he had struggles, Sean maintained faith in God and attended Mountain City Baptist Church with family whenever he was in town.

Sean is preceded in death by his mother Amber Cruz and both his paternal and maternal grandfathers. He is survived by his father David Valerga, his sister Alexis Valerga, and brothers Bradley Bodeker and Zachary Valerga, as well as his “bonus” parents Steve and Vanessa Shelley and brother Kadin Shelley. He is also survived by his paternal and maternal grandmothers, cousins, aunts and uncles, plus many other ”bonus” family members and many friends. Sean had a huge heart and love for many people and although his life on this earth was cut short, his memory lives on, and he lives eternally in heaven.

The family will receive friends from 2:00-3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, 2024 at Mountain City Baptist Church. The funeral service will follow at 3 p.m. 

The family of Sean Kyle Valerga has entrusted his services to Mountain City Funeral Home, 224 S. Church Street, Mountain City, Tennessee 37683.