Deborah Struthers Obituary

Struthers, Deborah
51, of Glendale, AZ passed away on April 13th, 2009. Debbie was born and raised in Sedona, AZ, and spent her life dedicated to the art of teaching in the Laveen and Alhambra Schools. She educated hundreds of students in language arts, receiving several Who's Who in American Teacher awards and completing her Masters of Education from GCU. Grandma Sweetheart, is survived by her daughters, Amber and Kerri, grandchildren Sammy, Cher, Eva, CJ, Jon Jon, and Brandon, and "extra" children: Mike, Danny, and Dustina. Others who love her are her mother, Noni, brothers Robert and Tim and other family members. Deb is preceded in passing by her husband, Andrew. A memorial service will be held at Faith Bible Church (17230 N. 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ, 85308), Sunday, April 19th at 2pm, and a celebration of her life to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Deb's charities: Arizona Animal Welfare League, and ASPCA.

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Published by The Arizona Republic on Apr. 15, 2009.

Memories and Condolences
for Deborah Struthers

10 Entries

Lucy Martinez

April 17, 2009

It was an honor to know Deb, I met her at Barcelona Middle. She was my mentor teacher and her passion for students motivated me and always will. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. Her legacy will always be a blessing to me.

Samantha Goodman

April 16, 2009

I had the priviledge to work with Deb at Laveen. She was an amazing person with a great sense of humor and genuine passion for her work. She touched so many lives and made the world a better place for us all. Much Love to you Deb, you are missed.

Dr. Ron Dickson

April 16, 2009

I was greatly saddened to hear of Deb's passing. I had the pleasure of meeting Deb when I was a principal in the Alhambra School District. I screened her for a position when she first applied and was immediately taken with how brilliant she was, but was even more impressed with how genuine she was. I didn't have an opening in her area of expertise, but I quickly referred her to Missy Penniman, a fellow principal, telling her, "You've got to speak with this lady!" Missy did, was equally impressed, and hired her right away.

I really enjoyed knowing and working with Deb. She was a great teacher, but more importantly, a wonderful human being. Her students always saw that right away. The saying goes, "They don't care what you know until they know you care." Deb cared, her students knew it, and that's why they were able to travel so far together. We all will miss her greatly.

April 16, 2009

The Struthers Family

I am deeply sorry for the loss of your mom and best friend. Deb was a wonderful, kind person. I had the privelege of working with her at Vista Del Sur Middle School for a couple of years. May you find peace in knowing that she is not suffering anymore and she is looking down upon you with a smile. Keep the faith!

Renee Elliott
BRF, Wisconsin

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Denise Ballard

April 15, 2009

Amber and Kerri,
I had the privilege of working with your mom, both at Laveen and at Barcelona. As a matter of fact, I met her the 2nd day I was in Arizona. She was an amazing teacher who loved kids more than anyone I know. She had the ability to find the best in EVERY kid, and as we know, that is not always easy to do!

Deb was the kind of person who made me want to be a better teacher. She was so good at giving ideas to others while praising what they were doing.

She has made me dresses, fixed my clothes, and made my kids blankets! I will miss her smile, her laugh, and her heartfelt conversations. How blessed you are to call her your mother!

Phil Pedersen

April 15, 2009

Norma Jane, Robert, Tim, Amber, and Kerri,

Sonja and I were very sorry to hear of Debbie's death. Like my brother Pete, I have many memories of Debbie during visits to Sedona growing up. Debbie had a way of making this extremely shy boy open up and feel at home. She was like a sister I never had. Our deepest sympathies.

Phil and Sonja Pedersen and Family

Koli

April 15, 2009

Deb was still busting balls in her last weeks here on Earth. As a long time friend of her daughter I had the honor of knowing Deb. She accepted me with open arms. No matter how eccentric and "wacky" she thought I was. She was the type of Mom that you wanted to hang around.
She will be missed dearly.

Patrick Quinn

April 15, 2009

Time can never dull the impact of this great woman, even though I only met her a few times it was in each of those times I noticed her kindness. I never saw her angry, or bitter. A wonderful person indeed.

Missy Berliner

April 15, 2009

Being a long-time friend of Amber's, I remember going over to their house several times, when I was upset. Mom always had a way of talking through things and explaining them so that the world made sense to me again. She also taught me a great deal on many subjects that I've been glad to learn about.

Last week, she was still cracking jokes, showing gratitude, and caring for everyone around her. She never let anything keep her down for long and stressed the importance of everyone having something they can do well and a way to help others. She's been a huge inspiration in my life and I will miss her just as tremendously.

Pete Pedersen

April 15, 2009

Norma Jane, Robert, Tim, Amber, Kerri and all the grandchildren,

We are deeply saddened to hear of Debbie's passing. May the memories of her life comfort you at this time. I have many wonderful memories of Debbie playing her guitar and her lovely voice. I remember the visits we made to Sedona when we were so young and the times when Debbie and all the family came to visit us in Omaha in the 1970's. Debbie always made me smile. She had a genuine joy and happiness about her, even during difficult times. Please accept our deepest condolences.

Pete Pedersen and family- Omaha, NE

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