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In memory of
Debra Kaye Steward
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Debra's obituary
Debra grew up in Annapolis, Maryland for most her youth. During her youth, she attended a mixture of public and Seventh Day Adventist schools. She graduated from Annapolis Senior High School in Annapolis, Maryland in 1980. Debra excelled in school and served in the state student council association as well was in academic competitions (such as the nation French Competition). Prior to her career life, she worked at restaurants Phileas Fogg and Marriott (Big Boy Restaurants), and babysat, and helped care for some of her elderly neighbors.
In 1985, she started working for the US Department of Transportation. She spent the first 20 of those years working for the Federal Railroad Administration. She spent the latter 14 years working for the Federal Highway Administration. Debra excelled at her job and routinely earned “exceeds expectations” performance appraisals. Debra retired from the Department of Transportation on January 31, 2019.
On December 18, 1993, she married William Bruce Steward. After the marriage, she and her husband spent 25 years in Northern Virginia (three in Herndon and 22 in Sterling) On October 5, 1996, Debra and Bruce became parents to Patrick Aaron Steward. In early 2019, Debra and family moved to Lake Meade, East Berlin, PA.
Debra was a woman who was family oriented and always made sure her loved ones were well taken care of. Debra spoke English, Spanish and French fluently. Debra was a very talented cook. Debra could remember many recipes without the use of a recipe card or page.
Alongside cooking and being a great caretaker, daughter, sister, wife, and mother, Debra’s other biggest talent and passion was music. At the age of 11, Debra received her first piano and learned how to be a very skilled player on the piano. She got to the point where she could play music by ear. She amazed people with what songs she could pull out from memory. After she retired, she was able to purchase her dream instrument, a baby grand piano. Debra enjoyed playing the piano frequently. She was also a talented singer and loved a wide variety of music. Debra also went to over 80 Grateful Dead concerts.
Debra is survived by her husband of 26 years, William Bruce Steward of East Berlin; her son, Patrick Aaron Steward of East Berlin; her parents Kenneth E. and Thelma M. Krantz of Mount Airy, MD; her brother and sister-in-law Kenneth E. and Judith B. Krantz of Crownsville, MD; her nephews Joseph and Adam Krantz and Jess (Anna) and Seth Jacobson; her Aunt Beverly Richardson; Her Uncle Norman and Aunt Linda Lindsay; Her Uncle Alex and Aunt Sue Lindsay; her husband’s 104 year old grandmother, Lois Rowe; the two family cats (Sapphire and B.W.); and numerous cousins and other relatives.
A celebration of life and inurnment will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to ECHO (https://echoworks.org/donors/) (P.O. BOX 2277, LEESBURG, VA 20177).
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In lieu of flowers
In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to Every Citizen Has Opportunities.
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In lieu of flowers, consider a gift to Every Citizen Has Opportunities.
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