Deborah Denise Edwards

Although Debbie lived her last years in Oklahoma, she was a proud Texan and would often say, “I was born in Texas.” Her ability to express love for her family and friends had no bounds – unconditional, unqualified, genuine love – a rare and beautiful gift she gave to all she knew. One of her favorite things to do when she sensed people were leaving her presence was to say, “I need a hug.” If only we could hug her now. Debbie lived with her mother, Elizabeth H. Edwards, for more than 50 years and frequently said how much she missed “mom” after her passing.

Debbie was thrifty – her father, Roy M. Edwards, Sr., said she was “tight.” But really, she was just very careful and saved her money for a “rainy day” and to buy special things for others. One of her most famous gifts to friends and family members was a pair of socks. For many, many years she made handwritten birthday cards and special gift packages for her family and friends and kept a calendar with all the dates marked to remind her about their upcoming birthdays. And she often had a personal song with a “high note” that she would sing to them as part of their gifts.

Debbie was a daily volunteer in the materials receiving department at Northwest Memorial Hospital near Spring, Texas for almost 25 years. She also worked in Brookwood’s greenhouses for two years raising tomatoes and other plants.

As a Special Olympian, she participated in numerous events – basketball, bowling, swimming, walk-race – for many years. She won medals and trophies, including at the state competitions. Her project as an agriculture student and Klein FFA member was raising Dutch rabbits. She showed the grand champion and reserve grand champion rabbit winning trophies and belt buckles each time. In her forties, she took up karate and loved demonstrating her kicking skills while asking “are you afraid of my kick.” She was a great fan of television sit-coms from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s and of the Houston Oilers professional football team, especially during the ‘Luv Blue Era’ and later rooted for the Houston Texans. She was also an avid moviegoer, and if asked how a movie was, her response would always be, “it’s the best.” While living at Atria with her mother, she played bingo with the help of caregivers, which she especially enjoyed when she won. As she got older, she disliked being called “baby,” but one of her brothers could never stop referring to her as that. Her reply was always, “I am NOT a baby, I am a Woman!”

Debbie loved meeting new people and making new friends and would often ask them if they liked pizza (she loved pepperoni pizza) and wanted to know their birthdates and ages. For Debbie, people meant love – being loved and giving love. She will always be an irreplaceable part of her family members’ lives and that of her many friends. She made us better people, especially those who knew her best.