Debra Jackson

Debra Byrd Jackson passed away on Friday, July 18, 2025. She was 78 years old.

Born on June 16, 1947, in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Debbie grew up in the nearby town of Donora in the Monongahela Valley. She was an honor student and an active member of her local church, St. Paul Baptist. Debbie was the only child of Lena Mae Kitchens Byrd and Charles E. Byrd.

After graduating from high school, Debbie moved to Pittsburgh to pursue a career in the medical field. It was there that she met Oliver Thornton Jackson. They married a few years later and were blessed with a daughter, Lillian Nicole Jackson, whom they both cherished.

Debbie was a devoted stay-at-home mom until Nickie began school. She then transitioned into a career in Human Resources and returned to school herself to earn her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from LaRoche College. With her signature Pittsburgh grit, Debbie later relocated to Maryland and earned her Master’s in Administration from Trinity College. She was a proud member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society.

Debbie enjoyed going to church, arts and crafts, and flea markets.

She was preceded in death by her parents. Debbie leaves behind her beloved daughter, Nickie; her cherished grandson, Cameron Jorrell Jackson; her Godsister, Betty Oliver; and a host of cousins, extended family, and dear friends whom she loved deeply.

Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.

A Memorial Service celebrating Debbie’s life will be held on Friday, August 1st at 11:00 a.m. at Body of Christ Church, 70 Industrial Park #2D, Waldorf, MD 20602.