Deborah Sue "Deb" TeKippe

Deborah Sue TeKippe (née Murrell), 77, of West Union, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Mayo Clinic surrounded by family after a hard-fought battle with a prolonged illness.

Deb was born on June 18, 1948, in Washington, D.C. She was the eldest of four children born to Sara (Nealey) and Frank Murrell and grew up on the family farm in Southeast Iowa. She graduated from Danville High School in 1966 and earned a B.S. in History from Iowa State University in 1970, where she met her future husband, Lyle. They married on August 26, 1972, in Danville and moved to West Union later that year.

Deb began her career as a social worker in Clayton and Fayette Counties before dedicating herself to raising her three sons-Mickey, Casey, and Andy. She was known for her passion, enthusiasm, and unwavering support for her children and grandchildren in all their pursuits.

Swimming was one of Deb's great joys, which she shared with all three of her sons, having them in the pool at two weeks old. She tirelessly drove her sons five or more days a week to be part of teams in Decorah and later Cedar Falls. Although she was never a competitive swimmer and would have struggled to swim a lap, that didn't stop her from applying what she learned from watching countless hours of practice from top coaches. Deb started volunteering with the West Union Swim Club in 1992 and remained a volunteer coach for 25 years until she developed lymphoma in 2017. Some of her greatest joy came from coaching alongside her three sons and continuing to coach long after with swimmers who had all developed under her guidance. Deb took immense pride in the team's accomplishments, including a historic upset winning the 2010 Conference Championship. She loved nothing more than the growth of individual swimmers, both in and out of the pool, and the continued relationships with all she had the opportunity to coach.

A lifelong lover of sports and competition, Deb was a devoted Yankees fan who rarely missed a game after all her years of coaching swimming. In her final year, she proudly traveled to see the Yankees play in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City with Lyle and members of her family along for every stop. Throughout her courageous journey with lymphoma, Deb found strength and friendship at Anytime Fitness, where she often discussed her Yankees along with her opinions.

Deb is survived by her husband, Lyle TeKippe of West Union; her son Mickey TeKippe (Erin McElvania) of Glenview, Illinois, and their daughters Penelope and Beatrix; her son Casey TeKippe (Chris Parrish) of Phoenix, Arizona; and her son Andy TeKippe, also of Phoenix, Arizona. She is also survived by her siblings Rick (Mary Beth) Murrell of Danville, Iowa; Jon Murrell of Urbandale, Iowa; and Margie (Blake) Bennett of Wildwood, Missouri; along with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Sara Murrell.

A celebration of life will be held for Deb on May 8, 2026, from 4-7 pm at Rustic Chic Event Center in West Union.

A private graveside service will follow on May 9, 2026. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the West Union Recreation Foundation.

Burnham-Wood-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service of West Union, Iowa assisted the family with arrangements