Deborah Stamper

Deborah Kay Stamper, age 64 of Crestwood, KY -- known to many as “Debbie,” “Deb,” and “Sis,” -- passed away on Wednesday, January 11th, 2023, leaving behind 44 pieces of kitchen chicken decor, 16 packs of cigarettes, and her beloved chihuahuas: Blue and Roxie. Debbie was a woman who lived her life by the theory “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” A theory that possibly led to her ultimate demise.

Debbie is survived by her 44-year-old kitchen stove that she refused to replace; a 1996 Glamour Shot; her two proudest accomplishments which are her daughters: “Money Bags” Angela Armstrong (Ryan) and “Golden Child” Jessie Stamper (Daniel); and her sister from another mother, best friend Jody Meyers. She is also survived by brothers Tommy Powell (Amy), and Bobby Powell, many friends and extended family members, as well as her grandson Wyatt Armstrong; and most importantly, the only person worth mentioning in her eyes, her grandson Nolan Kerrick.

She was preceded in death by a 1995 Convertible Chevy Camaro, several chihuahuas, a series of bad boyfriend decisions, a 38-year-old microwave, her late husband and love of her life William Thomas “Tommy” Stamper, parents Joyce & Sonny Powell, brothers Teddy, Eddie, and Freddie Powell: and many other family & friends.

Debbie graduated from Oldham County High School in Buckner, KY and she retired from the Oldham County Board of Education after 30 years of begrudgingly driving a school bus and being the occasional lunch lady. Throughout her working career she could be found holding down two or three jobs to make ends meet and provide for her daughters. As a professional driver, she would tell you that there was no vehicle she could not drive, and quite possibly operated dump trucks and backhoes better than her male counterparts thanks to being raised in an excavating family. Though she worked a lot, she never failed to drop-off her daughters at soccer or basketball, and never missed an opportunity to cheer them on at their games and extracurriculars when they were growing up. Debbie always supported her daughters in all they did and accomplished, and she wasn’t afraid to brag about them (a lot). Post retirement, she found a fulfilling role with Pillar (formerly Apple Patch) where she was able to care for and support individuals with disabilities to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Her goal was to love those individuals the way she loved her little Nolan and that’s exactly what she did.

In her spare time, she could be found gardening and piddling in her yard. She loved making crafts, painting, and creating décor for the front door for every holiday and any occasion known to man. Her skills with a glue gun had no equal. She loved dancing and often messed up the lyrics to songs on the radio. She wasn’t the greatest speller, as evidenced by some of her Facebook posts, but she didn’t care. She enjoyed sunbathing in the nude, napping on her pool raft, indulging in Reese’s cups, getting her nails done, and sipping her evening stiff glass of vodka with a splash of Monster along with her Pall Malls to pair.

She was a known violator of “the rules Mom set for the grandkids” and a renowned distributor of ice cream, Jell-O, and Nutty Buddy’s. She loved spending time with her grandsons and every moment of being MeMe. She lived for the time spent with her boys. It didn’t matter if it was

taking them to lunch, baking cookies, watching a movie, or just watching them play; but there was no doubt that the pool parties with Nolan and Wyatt were always her favorite.

She despised being told what to do, the smell of parmesan cheese, anything containing blue cheese, canned asparagus, and the cold weather. She’d much rather consume southern style food than the uppity, fancy foods her daughter Money Bags always proposed. She had a generous heart and would give anyone the shirt off her own back or a room to sleep in, even though she might complain about it a little later. She wasn’t YouTube certified, she couldn’t operate Netflix, and had minimal patience for phone calls with IT Support and routers requiring a reset. This is where she found value in having son in-laws. She was world-renowned for not holding back her opinion and had a knack for telling it like it is. Wave3 lost their most loyal and dedicated viewer and Spectrum lost an overpaying customer that only watched one channel.

Debbie passed away knowing that duct tape and WD-40 could fix just about everything, that her suntan and chicken legs were envied by so many; and most of all, that she will be sorely missed.

Following her wishes, there will not be a stuffy service, but well-wishers are encouraged to write a note of farewell on a pack of Pall Malls and drink a little Tito’s in her honor. A celebration of her life will be held later this summer. She would haunt us forever if we celebrated her when it’s cold.

A heartfelt thanks go out to the exceptional nurses at Baptist Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit for their support in her final days. These compassionate ladies treated her as if she were their family member and gave her so much more than nursing care.