Debi Sierra

(From Parker Mortuary)

On Monday, October 5th Debi Sierra returned to the love of God. During her life she showed many what it is to love freely, to laugh easily, and to leave the world better than she found it. Her love, hope, and humor could not be restrained, even by the physical and mental pain she had bravely battled throughout her life.

She had a whimsical spirit, and her joy and deeply felt empathy were the bedrock of her family. She made her life’s work that of building a family, building community, and caring for those around her. 

She is survived by Frank, her husband of 40 years, her two sons, Jeremiah and Jason, their spouses, Denise and Josh, two granddaughters, Joana and Natalia, and two foster grandkids.

On May 7th 1954, Deborah Jean Stewart was born to George Herbert and Dorothy Jean (Van Wyk) Stewart in Castle Rock, Colorado where her Scottish ancestors had homesteaded. She grew up with her four surviving siblings, Sue, Peggy, Bill, and Rick, loving the mountains and polishing gem stones in her tumbler. She continued her education at Littleton Community College and finished up her BA in Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

While in college she moved into the Episcopal Christian Community of New Life in Windsor, Colorado, where she played the guitar and bongos and met her husband, Frank. Friends for years, they were engaged on their first date and were married on September 12, 1980. After college she found her vocation as a homemaker and took great joy in creating a home full of love and laughter for her husband and two young sons.

Together the family lived in Wisconsin and Texas before Debi and Frank moved to Joplin, Missouri in 2005 where Frank accepted a call to serve as rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. In Texas, Debi was a licensed massage therapist and ran her own business, Son’s Touch, where she took great joy in bringing wholeness and healing to her clients. 

Creativity flowed from her in her poetry, writing, and art, and she embraced a sense of wonder that celebrated the imagination of others and the beauty of creation around her. She was curious about the world and about other people, loving gadgets and grocery store line conversations. She was a warm and generous spirit, giving freely of her time, her affection, and sometimes her knick knacks, volunteering for youth groups, choirs, her church community, and Crosslines here in Joplin. She will be missed and forever loved.

We will remember and celebrate our beloved Debi on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 2pm at St. Philip's Episcopal Church before laying her ashes to rest in the memorial garden.