Obituary published on Legacy.com by Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home - Flint on Oct. 4, 2025.
JACKSON, Ms. Debra – age 65, passed away Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at her residence. Family hour 10:30 AM Wednesday October 1, 2025, from the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the funeral home 10:30 AM Wednesday. Ms. Jackson will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home and may be viewed from 12:00 PM-6:00 PM Tuesday, with family present from 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM to receive friends. Our beloved sister, Debra Michelle Jackson was born May 7, 1960, in
Flint, Michigan and moved to her heavenly home on September 23, 2025. Debra was a graduate of Beecher High School. She also graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Go Broncos! At Lesley University in Boston, Massachusetts, is where she found her vocational calling and graduated with a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. Debra loved the children she taught. She had a passion for pouring everything she had into her students and was diligent in ensuring her students were well prepared for success. Debra retired from Beecher Community Schools in 2021. Being a lover of education and diligent student of the Holy Bible, Debra pursued her ministerial education in 2023. In May of 2025, Debra graduated with her most prized degree from Pistis School of Ministry. Her desire was to minister to everyone she met, whether a family member or a stranger in the marketplace. She recently felt called to combine her love of teaching and her love of ministry in a way that allowed her to minister the gospel to children and young adults. Debra accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at 12 years old at the local
Salvation Army. She was a dedicated member of Word of Faith International Christian Center. Debra was a prayer warrior and served faithfully as volunteer in the Prayer Center. She also volunteered as a Big Sister. Debra loved life! She was often referred to as the 'life of the party'–Holy Ghost party, that is…If you were privileged to receive a hug from Debra, you knew instantly that you were loved. Her laugh was hearty, and her smile was infectious. Debra never met a stranger. She was bold about her faith and would preach the Word in an instant. Almost no conversation went by without her sharing something about the Lord! Debra was loved by everyone she encountered because she loved God, and she loved people. Debra Michelle Jackson leaves to cherish her memory: siblings, Racene Ordu, Michael Jackson, Sr., Randy Jackson, Kelene Jackson; nephews, Michael Jackson Jr., and Alex Ordu; nieces, Zoe Jackson and Lee Jackson; aunts, Lillian Houston, Maxine Tornes, Margaret Jackson, Dorothy Payton, and Betty Tipper, a host of beloved cousins, and friends. Debra was preceded in death by her father, Thomas W. Jackson; mother, Ella L. Jackson; grandmother, Marie G. Wooten; grandparents, Willis and Louise Jackson; great-grandparents, George and Minnie Grayson. The family would like to express special thanks to the Word of Faith International Christian Center Family, Bishop Keith and Pastor Deborah Butler, and the Ministerial Staff, Rev. Ronald C. Wilson, Mackinac Island Emergency Room Staff, Mackinac Island Marine Rescue, McLaren Northern Hospital and Achieve Home Health Care.