Debra Morris

Deb Morris lived every day looking for ways to help those around her. She was an incredibly caring woman, who devoted her life to doing for others. Deb worked in the medical field by trade, a wonderful friend by choice, and a beloved wife, mother, sister and daughter above all else. Deb was taken from us too soon, but her life was a gift we will cherish forever.

Deb’s story began on a cool spring day in 1956, as the ground began to thaw in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Those were turbulent times in this country, with the Cold War, and the Red Scare, as we entered a new, Nuclear Age. Amid those changing times, Jack and Elaine (Burrell) McDonald experienced a big change of their own, with the birth of a beautiful baby girl at Bronson Hospital on April 3, 1956, a daughter they named Debra Lynn.

Deb was eventually joined by her little sisters Diane and Donna in the family’s home, and being the oldest, she assumed some of the duties in helping care for her little sisters. Deb didn’t mind, and had a natural motherly trait even as a young girl. She enjoyed helping her Mom clean the house, which she liked to keep spotless, a lifelong trait for her.

Deb’s work ethic was impressive as a young girl, and in addition to helping her Mom care for the home and her little sisters, she also mowed lawns and worked as a babysitter to earn her spending cash, buying her own new clothes to wear for her favorite trips to the roller rink on Saturday nights. (She always wanted to look her best).

Deb attended Vicksburg Schools, and eventually graduated from Vicksburg High School in 1975. She began studying to become a nurse’s aid, though she soon found much more than a career.

One night Deb met a wonderful young man named Jim Morris at a local dance club. The sparks flew between them, and they began dating. It wasn’t long before they had fallen in love, and the young couple was married on May 7, 1977 at the Lakeland Reformed Church in Vicksburg.

Deb began working as a nurse’s aid, and later worked as a radiology technician. The medical field was the perfect career for her, being the naturally caring and compassionate lady she was. Deb worked in the field for a few years, until she had more pressing matters at home – her family.

In 1982, Deb and Jim celebrated the birth of their first child, their baby son Shawn. Amy rounded out the happy family two years later, in 1984. The births of her children were truly the greatest days of her life.

Family meant everything to Deb, and they did so much together over the years. They owned a cabin up near Irons, Michigan, which was such a wonderful haven for them, and where they shared so many wonderful memories. Every weekend in the summertime and even the winter, they’ll pack up the truck and head off to the cabin, spending their days relaxing, enjoying nature, snowmobiling, or simply just being together. Those moments, away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives, formed the unbreakable bond they shared.

Deb was a wonderful wife and mother, who was always there for her family. She was always supportive of her kids, and was a very open-minded person, never quick to judge, making her a favorite with her kids’ friends, as well, who often confided in her. Deb also had a great sense of humor, and she gave everybody a nickname, from kids to friends to pets!

Of course, Deb was also a wonderful cook, whose apple pie, lasagna (Grandma Elaine’s recipe), beef tips and noodles, and shepherd’s pie were always crowd-pleasers. Deb enjoyed cooking, but her favorite meal was a Thin and Crispy Supreme pizza from Pizza Hut, with a bottle of Pepsi or a cup of coffee.

When her kids were older, Deb returned to the work force, though she was far from all work and no play. Deb was a woman of many interests of her own, truly a vibrant, fun-loving lady. She enjoyed collecting Beanie Babies and knickknacks, going to garage sales, and had a passion for the color purple which she passed onto her daughter. Deb especially loved riding on the back of their Harley motorcycle, and loved feeling the wind rush in her face as they rolled by.

In 2006, to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday, Jim gave his beloved wife a purple Monte Carlo. Later they were to purchase a purple Harley to match. Her children then threw her a surprise party at Bud’s Bar in Schoolcraft, which was a big surprise to Deb, and such a great memory for her. Her sisters presented her with a rocking chair. Deb loved to sit and rock in this chair daily, which was funny for a woman who was constantly moving!

Deb’s life wasn’t without its challenges, though. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, yet she beat the disease into remission. She also needed a knee replacement in 2007. In 2008 she developed a leg infection that kept her in the hospital for many weeks. She longed to be healthy enough to return to riding on the back of her Harley with her husband Jim, ever the independent person who never liked sitting around.

She did get well enough to leave the hospital and continue her treatments in the comfort of her own home. Sadly, Deb died in a car accident on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. She was 52.

Deb was such an amazing woman, who lived her life devoted to caring for her family and the people around her. She was a loyal friend by choice, but a loving wife, mother, sister and daughter above all else. She was taken from us too soon, but her life was a gift to us, a gift we will cherish and remember forever. She will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Deb, view her Life Story film, and visit with her family and friends and share light refreshments on Friday from 4-7 pm at the Life Story Funeral Home, Portage, 5975 Lovers Lane (344-5600). Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same location.

Members of her family include her husband Jim Morris, children Shawn and Amy Morris, future son-in-law Ben Kimble, sisters: Diane and her husband Greg Fleming and Donna and her husband Greg Socha, her father Jack McDonald, in-laws Jerry and Barb Morris-Fish ,several nieces and nephews, and two grand dogs Holly and Cane as well as her own dog Zeb. She was preceded in death by her mother Elaine McDonald in 1986.

Please visit Deb’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read her life story, archive a favorite memory or photo, sign her memory book online before coming to the funeral home or make a memorial donation to the Leukemia Foundation.