WILDWOOD, Mo. – At age 52, Debbie lost her 11-year battle with melanoma – skin cancer Dec. 21, 2011. She fought this battle right up until the end and will always be remembered for her courageous fight.
She was predeceased by her mother, Marge Blackburn; and her father, Jim Blackburn.
She was the beloved wife of Scott for 28 years; loving mother of Justin and Josh; daughter of Jim; dear sister of Jim and Debbie Blackburn, Trina and Larry Hernandez, and Bill and Martha Blackburn; a dear daughter-in-law, aunt, cousin and friend.
Debbie met her best friend and husband, Scott, at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. She loved spending time with her family; hiking, biking, watching sports and enjoying life. One of her greatest joys was watching her son, Justin, play sports. She was also an avid Cardinal and MIZZOU fan her entire life. Debbie attended Belleville East High School and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in political science from McKendree College. While at McKendree, she played basketball and softball. While in the air force, she earned a masters in public administration from Golden Gate University. Debbie received her commission while attending McKendree College through the ROTC program in 1981. She proudly served her beloved country in the U.S. Air Force and the Missouri Air National Guard for 28 years. Her duties and travels took her all throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Guam, South Korea, Turkey and Thailand. Debbie enjoyed traveling and learning about other cultures. She loved the time she spent at Jefferson Barracks – JB, leading the men and women of her division. May God bless and keep them safe. When she wasn’t at JB, she was a substitute teacher for the Rockwood school district. Debbie was a member of LifePointe Church, formerly Rockwood Baptist Church, where she taught several Bible studies. She also attended Bible Study Fellowship – BSF. She will be remembered for her sense of humor, her integrity, and her devotion to the U.S., and the men and women that serve in the armed forces. Her motto was “Always do the right thing.”
Visitation will be held 3-8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Schrader Funeral Home, 14960 Manchester Road, Ballwin, Mo., where funeral services will begin 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29. Afterwards, there will be graveside service with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks. A memorial service is planned in June 2012 in Bangor, for all her family in Maine. Debbie participated in multiple melanoma clinical trials and donated her cancer tissue to research. For those who would like to further her work, please consider a donation in lieu of flowers in Debbie’s name to Melanoma Research Foundation, 1411 K St., NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005 or go to www.melanoma.org and make a donation.