Deborah Lynn Ware

After spending her first few years of life in Toronto and California until the age of six, Deb grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She attended James Fowler High School, and then Briercrest Bible College for four years, followed by a year at Mount Royal College training in early years education. Deb later trained as a teacher in the UK. She taught students from elementary to high level for many years, in Oxfordshire, Durham, and Calgary, and eventually gained an MA in Education from Oxford Brookes University.

Following her mother’s marriage to Bill, the family travelled to Israel where the twins were baptized in the Jordan River at the age of fourteen. Deb and Dan spent the summer of 1980 working at Cannon Beach Conference Centre in Oregon, USA, where Deb recommitted her life to Christ.

In the following summer, Deb and Dan returned to Cannon Beach for a reunion with their coworkers, and it was there that Deb met Tony. Over the course of the next six years they wrote letters, shared occasional transatlantic visits, and were married in Calgary in 1987. They spent the next ten years living in Oxford and Durham, UK, before moving back to Calgary in 1997 with their two sons, Aidan and Matthaeus.

On September 12th, 1992, Deb’s twin Dan—the husband of Shauna and father-to-be of Steven—was killed in a plane crash. The loss of her twin impacted Deb profoundly. She lived the rest of her life with a yearning to be reunited with her loved ones in Heaven, which was only deepened in recent years with the passing of her niece Anna and her eldest sister Wendy.

Deb loved deeply and lived generously. She poured her whole heart into her commitment to Jesus, and to caring for her family and her pets. In recent years, Deb’s focus shifted from teaching to supporting those in crisis through her several years at the Calgary Distress Centre, where the light of Christ shone brightly through her empathetic words of encouragement.

Her fearless desire to spread the gospel and advance God’s kingdom manifested throughout her life. Most recently, the vehicles for Deb’s evangelism were weekly gatherings with her prayer group and with her ministry group TeamEvangel, where she shared her faith with people in need on the streets of Calgary.

Our memories of her love, warmth, passion, creativity, and unconventionality will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Deborah truly cherished her family and is survived by her husband Tony; sons Aidan (Kimberley), Matthaeus (Connie); her mother Mary Murray; as well as her siblings Dave (Carrie) Helston, Lori (Ron) Kernick and Dave (Louise) Murray, sister in law Shauna (Gabe) Beaubien, brother in laws Hans Elgby,

and Frank Kernick; her nieces and nephews Shawn Elgby, Jonathan Elgby (Doralyn), Annika Elgby, Luke Elgby, Caleb Elgby, Linnaea Elgby, Jace Elgby, Ankor Elgby, Michael Elgby, Seth Elgby, Kayla Leth (Braiden), Rydan Leth, Lincoln Leth, Kris Kernick, Aimee Kernick (Jason), Silas Burr, Steven Helston (MeLayne), Joshua Helston (Sue), Jared Helston (Rachel), Jasper Helston, Victoria Helston, Joel Helston (Sina), Franklin Helston, Flynn Helston, Joshua Murray, Rachel Murray, Rebekah Murray and Andrew Murray.

Her family and friends miss her deeply.

A Funeral Service for Deborah will be held Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Foster's Garden Chapel, 3220 - 4th Street NW, Calgary, AB T2M3A5.

Virtual attendance: If you are unable to join in person, you are welcome to join virtually over Zoom:

Meeting URL: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81681622205?pwd=b3ZoQkxvT2JuUS9vd3RwK1RWTWJhUT09

Meeting ID: 816 8162 2205

Meeting Passcode: deb

Donations: In honour of her passing, Deborah would have wanted donations to be made to her street ministry group, TeamEvangel, with which she shared her faith with people in need. Donations can be made through this GoFundMe page, organized by Deb’s family: https://gofund.me/76500e9d. Alternatively, go to the GoFundMe website and search for “Deborah Lynn Ware”

Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family, via the website: www.fostersgardenchapel.ca.