Deborah McCarthy Whyte

With great sadness the family of Deborah McCarthy Whyte announce her passing on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 after unsuccessfully getting her cancer to “f-off”.

Born January 1, 1958 in the District of Columbia to Mercedes Galway McCarthy and John E. McCarthy, she always knew she was the favorite child of all nine of the McCarthy children: Danette Christmas, Denis McCarthy, Sharon Reinckens, Sheila Wooters, John McCarthy, Jr., Robert McCarthy, Michael McCarthy, and Phillip McCarthy, all of which begrudgingly survive her. She also has dozens of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews which she adored spending time with.

Married 40 years to Roger J. Whyte, Chevy Chase, MD, they were an incredible team, a true ying and yang, who spent every day and every night together and still had things to talk about.

She is also survived and eternally proud of her three children and their spouses, Roger James Whyte II (Jared Silk), Washington, DC; Ryan Joseph Whyte (Julia Stein), Bethesda, MD; Morgan Whyte Ware (Timothy), Kensington, MD; and the absolute love of her life, her first grandchild Sean McCarthy Ware.

Her true passion in life, other than her family, was her business Whyte House Monograms located in Friendship Heights in Chevy Chase, MD. She began her business in 1996 in her basement with a simple sewing machine and worked tirelessly to have it grow into the monogramming and homegoods sweatshop, we mean storefront, that it is now.

Debbie was a graduate of Ursuline Academy, ‘75 prior to barely graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Pi Beta Phi in 1979 because she had way too much fun.

Debbie supported many great non-profits and was member of the Child’s Health Center Board at Children’s Hospital as well as was a member of the St. Johns College High School Board of Trustees after running almost every element of the SJC Open House for 13 years straight.

The family will be welcoming guests at a viewing at Joseph Gawler’s Sons Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 4 to 7 pm.

A Celebration of Life Mass will take place at the Church of Little Flower in Bethesda, MD, on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 10 am with interment thereafter at Gate of Heaven Cemetery and an inevitable glass of chardonnay following. Debbie hated sadness and loved a party so the family would like to encourage colorful attire and great stories to balance the heavy tears.

In lieu of flowers, there are two ways to make sure Debbie knows how much really you loved her. First, the family has established an endowed scholarship at St. John’s

College High School in her honor. Contributions can be made to St. John’s College High School in honor of “The Deborah McCarthy Whyte Memorial Scholarship”. Gifts can also be made to the Sibley Hospital Foundation with a note to benefit the Cancer Center, to which she was so grateful for their care of her over the past 8 months.