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In memory of

Deborah Hopkins Galt Vahle

Welcome, Maryland

July 25, 1955 - October 13, 2021

Jul 25, 1955 - Oct 13, 2021

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Our beloved mom, Deborah Hopkins Galt Vahle, died October 13, 2021 of cancer. Born on July 25, 1955, in Washington D.C., she was the daughter of the late Dwight Beebe Galt Jr. and Bettie Hopkins Galt.

She grew up in Maryland and graduated from Northwestern High School. She was active athletically and excelled academically. Mom attended what is now McDaniel College but decided she liked being outdoors more and left after two years. She discovered a passion for building things and began framing houses in central Maryland, eventually becoming a construction fore(wo)man. She met her future husband, Bret, through work; they married in 1985 and had four children in six years.

Being a mom was her true calling. She spent the last 35 years of her life caring for and yelling at us. She was known for her strong child-rearing boundaries and friends often threatened to send their misbehaving children to live at our house. As we got older, we were able to enjoy more of her care, friendship, and guidance. She never did lose her ability to yell at us when we needed it.

In 2001, she earned her CDL so she could drive buses for our school field trips. She soon discovered that she could drive school routes and still be available for her family. She was employed by Calvin Compton Bus Services for almost 20 years, driving many of Charles County’s elementary and middle school students. While we can’t honestly say that she enjoyed driving a bus, we can say that she genuinely cared for the children she drove. If you were assigned a seat in the front rows of her bus, you probably deserved it.

Mom could not sit still and had many activities throughout her life, often to the chagrin of her family. She helped run and support many of our extracurriculars, including Upward basketball, high school wrestling tournaments throughout the county, 4-H clubs, and JROTC competitions. As we got older, she shifted her time and energy to her own activities. She was an avid grass mower and horticulturist. She did her best to create a nature-first homestead and particularly loved creating a welcoming property for purple martins and hummingbirds. She always stopped for turtles crossing the road, often using her school bus lights for extra protection.

She loved animals and rehabbed many dogs and cats. She was a Humane Society of Charles County board member and a coordinator for their feline tag and release (TNR) program. She had an amazing knack for fostering cats to adoption; it seemed like there were always kittens at her house. She also had a heart for adopting older dogs and guiding them through their twilight years.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our mom’s faith. Her love for God was evident to everyone around her, particularly through her service to others. She was an active member of Redeeming Grace Church of Fairfax for 20 years. More recently, she found great joy participating in church life at La Plata Baptist Church. She loved to sing in the choir and serve her church family.

This obituary cannot begin to capture the impact our mom had on our lives and the lives of everyone around her. Her loss is felt deeply and we miss her greatly.

In addition to her parents, she is proceeded in death by her husband, Bret Carter Vahle.

She is survived by her children Sarah, Caleb, Jacob, and Adam, her children-in-law Kandice, Dylan, and Shelby, and grandchildren Roman, Addison, and Livia. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law Dwight and Jan and many much-loved nephews, nieces, extended family, and friends who are family.

Services will be held on December 11, 2021 at Hughesville Baptist Church in Hughesville, Maryland. A memorial service will begin at 1 pm, with a reception to follow.

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the amazing doctors, nurses, and staff at Fairfax Inova Hospital and the Adler Center. We are forever grateful for the care and compassion you showed our family as we walked through a very difficult diagnosis. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Capital Caring Adler Center in Aldie, Virginia.

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