Debra Janet Twitchell

The Life Story of Debra Janet Twitchell

(Born Debra Janet Elliott) March 15, 1958 – March 8, 2026

Debra Janet Twitchell was born Debra Janet Elliott on Saturday, March 15, 1958. The world she was born into was one of change and progress. That same year, NASA was established, Alaska was approved for statehood by the United States Congress, and music from artists like Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers filled the airwaves. Movies such as Vertigo, Gigi, and South Pacific were in theaters, while television audiences were discovering new shows like The Donna Reed Show. It was a time of optimism, new technology, and cultural change.

Debra was born to Myrtle Jean Dudley and Burt Arnold Elliott. Her parents’ marriage was short-lived. They were married for only about three months before divorcing, and Jean was still pregnant with Debra when the marriage ended. Though Debra’s early years were complicated, her life would be shaped by the many relationships that entered her world as her family grew and changed.

Debra’s mother later married Von M. Hutchings, and Debra grew up in a blended family surrounded by many siblings and extended relatives. As a young child, Debra longed to feel fully part of the Hutchings household. In second grade, she began using the last name Hutchings, even though it had not yet been legally changed. She simply wanted to feel like she belonged with the rest of her family. When she graduated from high school, she returned to using her legal name, Debra Janet Elliott, for official purposes.

Debra spent her childhood moving between several Utah communities and schools. Her early education began at Reese Elementary School in Spanish Fork, where she attended kindergarten through second grade from 1963 to 1966. She later attended Franklin Elementary School in Provo for third grade, before returning to Reese Elementary for fourth and fifth grade. Her elementary years concluded at Timpanogos Elementary School in Provo, where she attended sixth grade during the 1969–1970 school year.

In 1970, Debra began seventh grade at Dickson Junior High School in Provo, and during this time, she discovered something that would become one of the most important parts of her life: music. She began playing the clarinet, an instrument that would stay with her throughout her school years and bring her great joy.

Debra later attended Richfield Junior High School in Richfield, Utah, where she continued to play the clarinet in both the marching and concert bands. Music became her social circle and her creative outlet. Band tours became exciting highlights of her school years, including a trip to Disneyland during ninth grade.

High school brought even more change. Debra attended Grand Junction High School in Colorado for tenth grade, where she continued to perform in the symphonic and marching bands. When her family moved back to Utah, she returned to Provo High School, where she completed her eleventh and twelfth grade years.

Throughout high school, Debra remained deeply involved in music. She played the clarinet in the symphonic band and marching band, performing during both the summer and fall semesters. Music was one of the places where she truly felt like herself.

She graduated from Provo High School in 1976, a particularly special year as the United States celebrated its Bicentennial. Debra was proud to play in the orchestra at her graduation ceremony, a moment she remembered as meaningful in her life.

Music was not only something she loved—it also helped her physically. Debra struggled with respiratory problems from childhood, and playing the clarinet helped her strengthen her breathing. The discipline of music became both therapy and passion.

One of the difficult moments during her high school years involved a concert performance she had worked very hard to prepare for. Debra had been rehearsing with the orchestra for a performance of Handel’s Messiah. However, her mother, Jean, required her to babysit her younger siblings—Rolonda, Rochelle, and Robin—during rehearsal time. Debra brought them with her to the rehearsal, hoping she could still participate, but the orchestra director told her she could no longer play in the concert. It was devastating for her. Debra loved music deeply, and moments like this stayed with her.

Despite the challenges, she continued to pursue education and personal growth. After high school, Debra enrolled at Utah Technical College in Provo (now Utah Valley University) in August 1976. She studied Early Childhood Education and completed her certificate in 1978.

During this time, Debra worked as a teacher’s aide in the Provo School District, assisting teachers in classrooms and helping prepare lesson plans and classroom materials. She worked at Grandview Elementary School and Timpanogos Elementary School, where she discovered a deep love for working with children and supporting their learning.

Debra had also begun working even earlier in life. During her sophomore year of high school, she took a small job working a few hours each week at a store called The Lighthouse, owned by a couple in her church ward. The job allowed her to earn a little money to buy things she needed—things her parents were not always able to provide.

As she entered adulthood, Debra felt a strong spiritual calling to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For several years, she felt strongly that she needed to go. Her parents initially discouraged her from serving a mission, but Debra remained determined. Eventually, they realized she was serious and chose to support her.

On September 10, 1983, Debra entered the Missionary Training Center and later served a mission in Nashville, Tennessee. She served faithfully until March 1985, gaining experiences that strengthened her faith and personal independence.

After returning from her mission, Debra began working at the Utah State Developmental Center, formerly known as the Utah Training School. There she served individuals with developmental disabilities, working in a field that required patience, empathy, and dedication. She remained there for approximately twenty-one years, dedicating much of her adult life to caring for others.

It was during this time that she met Keven James Twitchell. Their relationship grew through their shared work and friendship, and they were eventually married in November 1991. Together, they moved into their home in American Fork, Utah, where they built their life together.

Debra embraced family life wholeheartedly. She became a mother and stepmother to Jefferey, Scott, Deven, and Derek, and her love for children extended far beyond her own home.

For many years, Debra and Keven also participated in foster care, opening their home to children who needed safety, stability, and compassion. Among the children they fostered were Julian, Alan Nielson (Keven’s nephew), Shawn Smith, Robert, Daniel Fernandez, Ryan, Gregory, Bradley, Michael Smith, and Melissa. Debra believed deeply that every child deserved love, patience, and someone willing to care for them. Her willingness to open her home to so many children reflected the depth of her kindness.

Debra also loved spending time outdoors with her family. Camping was one of her favorite activities. Being in nature brought her peace, and she often said that the fresh mountain air helped her breathe better.

Family camping trips became cherished traditions. One particularly memorable family adventure occurred in 1993, when the family traveled in a red van on a long road trip to California. During that trip, they visited Disneyland, traveled along the California coast, attended the Hutchings family reunion in San Diego, and visited Yosemite National Park. They also saw the towering California redwood trees, something Debra never forgot.

During that same trip, Scott comforted Debra’s mother, Grandma Jean, with a stuffed teddy bear named Alex, an act of kindness that Debra remembered fondly.

Other family adventures included trips to Yellowstone National Park, camping trips to Wellsville, Utah, for opening weekend fishing with Grandpa Twitchell, and many other outings spent enjoying the outdoors together.

Camping remained a meaningful part of Debra’s life for many years. In 2019, the family camped together at Moon Lake, enjoying the mountains and quiet surroundings.

In July 2022, she camped in American Fork Canyon with Keven and the boys. What made this trip special was that she got to spend it with her nephew, Brian Witte, and Niece, Andrea Twitchell. It was Brian's last camping trip before he passed away.

August 2024 was Mom's last camping trip at the same American Fork Canyon campground. This trip was extremely impactful for Debra because she desperately begged us to go camping, as it became increasingly more difficult for her to walk because of her hip pain and breathing. Mom was able to cook our meal with her Dutch oven, her favorite thing to do while camping. Being surrounded by nature and family brought her great happiness.

Debra faced many health challenges throughout her life. When she was about 14 or 15 years old, she suffered a serious accident when a horse stepped on the right side of her face, leaving her with a severe black eye and likely a concussion or traumatic brain injury. She struggled afterward with schoolwork and physical symptoms, though she continued forward despite the difficulties.

She also dealt with respiratory problems for much of her life, which made activities like playing the clarinet especially meaningful.

In her later years, Debra developed kidney disease. She was diagnosed in September of 2025 and given six months to live. On February 24, 2026, Debra and Keven met with her kidney specialist and learned that her kidneys were functioning at only 11 percent. They were told to begin preparing for the end of life.

Debra passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 8, 2026, just one week before her 68th birthday.

Debra Janet Twitchell lived a life defined by resilience, compassion, and devotion to family. She was a musician, a caregiver, a teacher’s aide, a missionary, a foster mother, and above all, a woman who cared deeply about the people around her.

Her legacy lives on through the many lives she touched—through the children she helped raise, the foster children she cared for, the individuals she served in her career, and the family members who will always remember her love.

She is survived by her devoted husband Keven Twitchell; her children Jay Patterson, Jeffery Twitchell, Scott Twitchell, Deven Twitchell, and Derek Twitchell; her grandchildren Kimberly, Aubriella, and Dorothy; Her stepmother Leah Hone Elliott, and her many sisters Sabrina Haycock, Sheryl Sissler, Katrina Barney, Kristine Coffman, Robin Sass, Rochelle Hutchings, Rolonda Johnson LeFevre, Christine Elliott-Corbett, Connie Becker, Cynthia Carter, and Brenda Bartholomew, along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family members who loved her deeply.

Debra’s life was one of faith, resilience, compassion, and devotion to family. She opened her home and heart to many and will be remembered for her kindness, her testimony of Jesus Christ, her love of the outdoors, and the many lives she touched.

She will be deeply missed by her husband, her children and grandchildren, her many sisters, and all who knew and loved her.

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