Debbie was taken from us on September 3, 1977,
just weeks after her seventeenth birthday.

We, her family, have often asked the question so many other people
who have suffered a loss have asked,
WHY?

What lessons had this man learned in his life that he felt it necessary to cut short
this vivacious, positive life.

Unfortunately we will never have an answer to that question.
The man who murdered her took his own
life just three days later.

Debbie packed more into the few short years she was here on earth,
than most people do in a normal lifespan.

She fell in love with horses, and was riding before she was three.

By nine, she was showing steers in 4-H and learned to sew.

She showed early signs of leadership while serving at different levels of
management in the local 4-H club. At 8th grade graduation she was presented
The American Legion Leadership Award.

She earned the ranks of Silver Star, Gold Star, and Junior Leadership,
attending the state Junior Leadership conference in 1977.

She was very active in sports. She was a member of the
Junior Varsity Tennis team, the track team and played fast pitch softball
on a Girls City Recreation team.

On weekends she played slow pitch softball on a women’s team in
Parker, Arizona.

At Central Union High School she was a driving force on campus.
She held a class office every year, she was on
the yearbooks staff serving as advertising manager and
was to have been the editor of the yearbook her senior year.

She devoted part of her summer vacation to gathering information
for the following years book.
The 1978 yearbook was dedicated to her.

She, along with two friends, helped create a group called “Mat Maids”,
to provide assistance and to cheer on the much ignored wrestling team.
The girls earned money to buy material for their Mat Maid uniforms
and I, Debbie’s mom, made them.

In 1977 Deb was named to the All Star Softball Team for the
City Recreation Department.
This team represented El Centro in the San Diego
All Start Tournament.

In 1981 the City of El Centro dedicated the field where she used to play:
“PITTMAN PARK”

At “Sweet 16” Debbie sold her horse and found new loves in her life;
her 16th birthday gift, a yellow 1965 Mustang and “boys”!!

A young man in her class, Michael Crow, wrote a song,
which he sang at graduation.

He dedicated the song to the 1978 graduating class
and also to Debbie.

In this song he said “but one was left behind and now
her memory is imbedded in our minds”.

We turn the page to begin another chapter and find
we will have to write it ourselves,
using Debbie’s formula:
Zest for life
You have to give to receive
Live each day to the fullest
Enthusiasm magnifies ability

We thank God for the brief miracle called
“DEBBIE”!

Debbie will forever be in the hearts and memories of her family ;
her younger brother Eddie and his fantastic wife, Laura,
her mother and father
as well as in the hearts and memories of all of her relatives
and many, many friends.

Always to be loved but never to be forgotten!

Thanks to my good friend Janie from the bottom of my heart.

I hope you have some idea of how much Debbie's family
appreciates all of the time and effort
you have put into creating this website.

Thank you to everyone else who contributed.

Music playing is "Memory" from the musical Cats