Debra Marie Waalkes

Debra Marie Waalkes was born May 13th 1962 and she passed away May 24th 2024. She was a mother of 3 children, her oldest daughter, Danielle Talley, followed by daughter Savanna Waalkes and son Derek Waalkes. Debra is also survived by her sister and best friend Cathleen Gonder.

Those who knew Debra well, knew her as "Deb". She loved so many things from music turned up loud, T.V. shows and comedians that made her laugh to late night conversations and laughs with Cathleen. Of everything that made her, her, nothing compared to the love she had for her family. Always going out of her way to do things to make the lives of her loved ones better. The holidays were some of the most precious things to her. In our house we would pile into the living room on Christmas day and Savanna would make everybody coffee or hot chocolate. We would tell the same funny stories every single year and it never got old, we laughed harder each and every time. She loved living life for the indulgences that it offered, ate her dessert before her dinner and threw caution to the wind with just about everything. She was one of the most humble people you'd ever meet. There were times she would have next to nothing and give whatever she did have left to somebody in need, no matter her own struggles. She strongly believed that no matter how bad you had it, there was always somebody who had it worse.

Anything that didn't make her happy wasn't living for her, including the rules. She made her own and she was never sorry for that. I can't say I know what's waiting for us at the end, but if it's anything like what she believed in when she was alive, then we will be reunited at some point, which Savanna, Derek, Cathleen and myself will be hanging on to. She will be missed until that day.

There is a hole in my heart that she filled and I never knew just how large it was until she was gone.

Danielle Talley