Deborah Lynn Hughes

Having been diagnosed in November of 2019 Debbie was able to continue to work, do a little traveling, along with long early morning walks on the Huntington Beach Pier with friends over the past four years. On Monday, July 22, 2024, she passed away at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California.

Debbie was born on September 19, 1954, in St. Cloud, Minnesota and grew up in Fullerton, California. She graduated from Sunny Hills High School where she was an accomplished flutist in the marching band before embarking on a successful 50-plus-year career in paper sales, with a focus on specialty papers later in her profession.

Survivors include her loving husband, Tom of 28 years; brother Chris Bretall; many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews along with several brothers- and sisters-in-law. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roger and Mabel Bretall and her brother, Curt.

During her working years, Debbie took up running to work off stress. A visit to the wine country occasionally helped a bit as well. Not quite the wine snob, but she did enjoy a ‘taste’. Debbie completed two L.A. Marathons and half marathons in Long Beach and Huntington Beach for various causes. At one point, she grew her hair out to donate her locks for wigs to be made for other cancer patients.

Debbie and Tom enjoyed many memorable adventures, including trips to the National Parks, Antarctica, Cancun, the Galapagos Islands, hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains and in November of last year, Monument Valley.

Services will be held at McAulay and Wallace Mortuary beginning with visitation from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. A memorial will be held following, with a burial service immediately after at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Deborah's memory may be made to, Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Foundation: In Honor of Deborah Lynn Hughes, 5000 US Hwy 17S Ste 18 #344, Fleming Island, FL 32003, https://jnfkidneycancer.org/donate/

If you will be attending Debbie's services we kindly request that if you have been exposed to COVID within the last 10 days that you to do not attend the services in person and request the livestream link from the family to watch from home.