Deborah Nelson "Debbie" Gutierrez

Deborah "Debbie" Nelson Gutierrez passed away on October 23, 2025, at the age of 75. She was the daughter of Miriam Quick Nelson and Nils Nelson. Preceded in death by her parents, husband, Oscar Alan Gutierrez and son, Nathan Alan Gutierrez, she is survived by her three daughters, Rebecca Mills (Steve), Rachel Gutierrez (Jonah Horn) and Heather Gutierrez (Shane Holcomb); and six grandchildren, Hayden and Jake Mills, Nora and Lydia Horn, Gilian and Delia Holcomb; two sisters, Karen Nelson Dice, and Dianne Nilsen, and their families and many cousins around the country and in Norway.
Proud to have been an Air Force brat, Debbie was born in Roswell, New Mexico, and lived as a child in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Plattsburg, New York, and San Bernardino, California. She graduated from San Gorgonio High School, where she met her future husband, Oscar. Her family moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 1969. Oscar followed and they were married on November 28, 1970. They started a family and eventually opened their restaurant, Bandito Burrito Co. in 1990, which is still open to this day.
While raising four children, Debbie volunteered her services at Hope Place, a domestic violence assistance service, and as a CAJA, a Court Appointed Juvenile Advocate for Madison County on top of working for the restaurant handling all the office work that it entailed.
Debbie was proud of her heritage. Her father was an immigrant from Norway. Her mother's family dated back to the 1870s in Huntsville and nearby. Her grandfather was the only pilot, at age 16, of the flying machine built by her great-grandfather, William Lafayette Quick, which is now hanging in the Space and Rocket Center.
To know Debbie was to enjoy her dry sense of humor, and funny, quick wit. Her creativity always brought smiles and laughter-tiny creatures made from found objects or crafted from yarn, felt, wood, even duct tape. She could transform a gourd into a beautiful work of art. Her grandchildren were fortunate to play with her furnished doll houses and were inspired to make their own creations.
Besides her family, Debbie loved her two Great Pyrenees-Luke, her longtime companion and best friend, and Benny, her rescue with a disability. She also adopted a playful orange cat named Cooper that slept with her most nights. Since she had an affinity for all animals, any donations in Debbie's honor could be made to an animal shelter in her memory.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.