Debra Ann Dunfield

Debra Ann (Debbie) Dunfield (née Coughran)

January 6, 1954 – March 25, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Debra Ann (Debbie) Dunfield (née Coughran) of Halifax, NS. Born on January 6, 1954, in Goose Bay, NL, to Francis (Sonny) Coughran and Anita Coughran (née Braun), and sister to Michael, Karan and Stephen (Mary). Debbie lived a life rich in adventure, compassion, and dedication to others.

Raised in a military family, Debbie spent her youth moving across Canada and around the world, fostering a deep love for travel and exploration that stayed with her throughout her life. Her spirit of adventure led her to remarkable places—Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru, Walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and Camino St Francis with her daughter in Italy, Camino PEI with her children, Living among tribes in Thailand, and Riding Horseback with the Bedouin in Mongolia, sharing life changing experiences with the incredible women of Wild Women Expeditions, a group she loved. She ran marathons in the streets and on the mud flats of the Bay of Fundy and travelled countless times with her family to New York City.

Debbie’s professional life was as diverse as her travels. She took great pride in her work at Mackenzie Seeds in Brandon, MB, and later as a relocation advisor with Royal LePage Relocation in Halifax NS, where she met great life long friends and helped countless families navigate new beginnings. She had a passion for teaching and was committed to making a difference, teaching English to new Canadians and pursuing university studies to deepen her understanding of Indigenous cultures in Canada.

Debbie’s legacy is one of empathy, care, and an unwavering dedication to helping others. Her adventurous spirit, love of learning, and compassion will live on in her children, Jason Dunfield (Cayla) and Heather Roberts (née Dunfield), daughter in-law Julie Roberts and her cherished grandsons, Parker and Carson Dunfield.

To honor her memory and love of nature, a bench will be installed in her name at the Halifax Public Gardens—a place she deeply loved—so that all who visit may enjoy the beauty she found there.

Debbie’s light will continue to shine through the lives of those she touched, and her adventures will carry on through her family. She will be dearly missed but never forgotten.