Deborah Ann Steele

Debbie Steele's laugh could light up a room, and her heart was big enough to embrace everyone she met. Born on the 8th of March 1951, in Braddock, Pennsylvania, Debbie spent her 74 years creating connections, spreading joy, and making the world a little brighter wherever she went.

Though she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Debbie's true calling was simply loving people well. Whether she was volunteering countless hours in schools, dedicating herself to Be an Angel, or welcoming a stranger with her signature warmth, Debbie had an extraordinary gift for making everyone feel seen and valued. New acquaintances quickly became lifelong friends, drawn in by her genuine interest in their stories and her infectious enthusiasm for life.

Around the bridge table, Debbie was in her element—not just for the cards, but for the laughter, the conversations, and the community she built hosting her beloved bridge club. As a parting remembrance, in a drawer of her things, her family found ninety-six dollars tucked away in bridge winnings. Dollars traded over the years with good friends in fierce but friendly competition.

With paintbrushes and colored pencils in hand, Debbie found another avenue for her generous spirit to shine. Her artwork captured the beauty of wildlife with remarkable tenderness—each bird, woodland creature, and pastoral scene seemed to come alive under her careful attention. Friends and family treasured her original pieces, and she was just beginning to share her artistic gifts with a wider audience through a new business venture when illness intervened. Her studio may be quiet now, but her works remain vibrant testimonies to her ability to see and celebrate the wonder in nature's smallest details.

She and Ed loved to travel, especially with family. They travelled throughout the US and Canada as well as a number of countries in Europe. She also enjoyed cruising and her favorite was taking the family on an Alaskan cruise. The family will be taking a Caribbean cruise later this year in her memory.

Debbie's greatest masterpiece, however, was her family. For 52 beautiful years, she shared life's adventures with her husband Ed, creating a love story that inspired all who knew them. She poured her heart into raising her daughter Erin and son Derrick, celebrating as their own families grew with son-in-law Jason Harris and Derrick's fiancé Veronica Hernandez. Her greatest joy came from spoiling her grandsons Morgan and Zachary Harris, who brought endless laughter and wonder to her days.

She also leaves behind her siblings who were blessed to call her sister: John and sister-in-law Gretel Lawler, brother Dan Lawler, and sister Cathy and brother-in-law Bobby Dugan. Each carries forward the gift of having been loved by someone who made kindness look effortless.

The world feels a little quieter without Debbie's presence, but her legacy of generosity, warmth, and unconditional love lives on in every heart she touched.

A memorial service is to be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, the 21st of June, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

We invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with her family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon below.