Deborah May Maniere Sturgeon was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, December 10, 1949. An only-child, she grew up in New Jersey with her father Dominic, and mother Mildred, who taught her the value of hard work, standing up for ones self, and the importance of education. She was an excellent student who enjoyed twirling batons as a majorette at school events at Leonia High School. She continued her education to receive a bachelors degree in elementary education from Fairleigh Dickinson University which she used to gain her teaching license with which she taught 6th grade. In teaching she found her passion, helping students learn new things and see the world through a new lens. Thanks to a blind date in 1976 she met her husband, Gary, whom she married in a wintry wedding on January 14, 1978. Gary's work would soon move them from New Jersey to California briefly, before they were finally moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where their first child, Tiffany, was born in August of 1981. Debbie and Gary loved life in Colorado Springs, and in January of 1986 they welcomed their second daughter, Sherri. 

Though Debbie never got back into teaching in a formal academic environment, she committed herself to finding ways to continue to educate through her new found faith and church community. For many years she taught various children's programs at her church, as well as did work with the women's ministry. She even ran the church library for many years which was a unique and fulfilling way for her to encourage and uplift others. In these roles, Debbie's love for others shone through above all, along with her firm belief that God would always make a way through the darkest storms of life. She was never one to shy away from a tough situation, always willing to stand alongside others as they fought through their life battles, offering encouragement, prayer, and unwavering support. She worked with women in vulnerable positions, both in and out of the church, always eager to demonstrate the love of Christ in real and tangible ways, with unparalleled generosity. Debbie was very creative and artistic, developing a talent for cake decorating (for which she taught classes), as well as having a passion for sewing, knitting, and other crafts. She spent several years selling Mary Kay through which she found a new avenue to support and encourage women. Debbie additionally had a huge love for animals, whether it was the many pets she had over the years, or the numerous wild animals that would visit her home, she found great joy in the special creatures that were part of her world.

In 2012, Debbie's husband, Gary, passed tragically from cancer. Debbie's faith never wavered, though, and her strength to get through some of the hardest challenges in life was admirable. In 2017, following a difficult diagnosis which rocked her world in a dramatic way, she further demonstrated that strength, standing strong on God's promises and choosing to move to Montrose, Colorado, to be close to Tiffany who lived there. 

In Montrose she found a new community, through volunteering at the local hospital, as well as at her church. No one could doubt her love and compassion and unwavering generosity, as she was always the first one to offer assistance when someone needed a helping hand.  When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, she kicked into high gear, making masks and gowns for the local hospital and doctor's offices when no supplies could be found. Even when her own health was failing and she was no longer as mobile as she once was, she continued to be a support for her friends around the country, ever the encouraging voice of love and faith. In 2019 she received the greatest gift with the birth of her first grandchild, Abigail, followed by a grandson, Nehemiah, in 2021. Grandma was the best role and title she ever held and the light in her eyes when she spoke of her grandchildren was undeniable. 

When Tiffany and her family decided to move to Arizona, she chose to follow for the benefit of the warmer climate and to maintain close proximity to her precious grandkids. After more than 40 years in Colorado she moved to Kingman, AZ in the summer of 2023.

Ultimately, the diagnosis from 2017 was one she could not overcome and after a brief hospitalization in early April, she returned to her home where she passed in the evening of April 25th, her family at her side. Though she never experienced the healing she so believed in on this side of heaven, she is now fully healed and rejoicing in the Lord she loved and trusted for most of her life. She is greatly missed by all who knew and loved her, but her legacy and faith lives on in the lives she touched, and the family she leaves behind.

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