Debra Pizzola Powell

Debra "Deb" Pizzola Powell, age 69, of Fairfax Station, Virginia, passed away peacefully at home on November 29, 2024. She was born in 1954 in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., where she lived with her loving Italian and Sicilian family. She attended Holy Trinity High School in Georgetown. Always fashionable, she went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to attend fashion school at Broward College.
She then ultimately earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Dental Hygiene degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and led a successful career as a dental hygienist and consultant. She taught at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) as a dental hygiene Associate Professor for more than 20 years, before retiring in 2020. She was truly loved by her students.
Her passion was to travel, especially with her late mother, and son, Stephen – with notable trips to Sicily, the Bahamas, and a Caribbean cruise. She adored her grandsons, Arthur and Duncan, to them she was their "Nani." Buying them clothes was her love language and she could never receive too many photos of them. Deb truly enjoyed decorating for Christmas and was very creative – making tasteful jewelry wreaths and bracelets. The season of summer, sunbathing, and entertaining guests at her pool were some of her favorite pastimes. She loved an excuse to dress up, liked to chat with anyone, and enjoyed staying active by attending Pilates classes.
She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Rose (Natoli) and Anthony Pizzola; and her daughter, Natalie. Deb and her husband devoted their lives to the love and care of their daughter for thirty years.
Deb is survived by her husband Stephen "Steve" Powell; son Stephen (Alison) Powell; grandsons Arthur and Duncan; brothers Tony (Kristin) Pizzola, John (Jannelle) Pizzola; sister Elaine (Geoff) Secker; nieces and nephews, additional friends and family, and grand dog, Yuki.
Her family will miss her kindness, warmth, and conversation and are forever grateful for how she loved her children and grandchildren.
Services will be held at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22032, on Saturday, December 7th, starting with visitation at 12pm, service at 1pm, and burial at 2pm. In lieu of flowers the family wishes that donations be made to the Benedictine School, 14299 Benedictine Ln., Ridgely, MD 21660 or online at www.benschool.org/foundation.