Reprinted from the Spokesman-Review

Debbie was born in Rugby, North Dakota, on June 5, 1952. Her family moved to Washington in 1954. She grew up in Sunnyside, and graduated in 1970. She went to college at WSU, where she met her husband, Girard Clark, at a pumpkin carving contest her freshmen year. Debbie possessed a sharp wit, was an avid reader and loved to walk. She also carried a very unique and warm sense of humor that her friends and family cherished. It took her only 3.5 years to graduate with honors from WSU with a major in English and minor in Spanish. Debbie was always a true Coug and enjoyed attending WSU sporting events with her family. Even more so she enjoyed her kids' activities, which included many sporting events. Commitment and hard work were always important to her from a young age. While in high school, a local hardware store asked the business teacher for her brightest student and hardest worker for a part-time bookkeeping job. The teacher had only one name in mind and sent 15-year-old Debbie. Although her family owned Shuley's Paint and Floor Covering, a competing business in town, they fell in love with her and employed her until she left for college. She worked in banking through college and continued to after graduation until 1981, when she and Girard decided to have children. Debbie returned to the workforce for Pullman School District in 1988, and worked as the secretary at Jefferson Elementary from 1991 until retiring in 2014. Debbie was a very loving mother, wife, daughter and friend who always valued substance over image. She carried a genuine smile that everyone knew well. Believing deeply in those she loved, she was always a tremendous support to their dreams.