Debra Debbie Do Ann Dwyer Tate

When Debra Ann Tate walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Debra (affectionately known by family as Debbie, or Debbie Do )was and how she impacted those around her. Debbie was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Debbie wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Debbie was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.      Debbie was born on April 17, 1956 at Sharp Hospital in San Diego, California. She was the daughter of John P. Dwyer and Deanna Dwyer. Debbie was raised in El Cajon, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Debbie might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Debbie was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.      Debbie was raised with five siblings. She had her sisters Sherry and Linda and brothers Pat Jr., Mark, and Darin. Debbie was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Debbie was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Debbie well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.      As a young girl, Debbie was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Debbie was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Debbie took part in swimming. She was a member of a choir and had performances at the Old Globe Theatre. In her spare time she loved singing, swimming, soaking in the sun, cooking and being with her family. Debbie had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.      During her high school years, Debbie responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from El Cajon High in 1974. Debbie was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Debbie absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Debbie , school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Debbie a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was choir.      Debbie did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. She attended Grossmont College. Debbie was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Debbie problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that she enjoyed virtually every class she took. Debbie was always in quest of new things to learn and experience      On August 20, 1988 Debra married Thomas Tate in an outdoor wedding at her sister's home in San Diego, California. Debbie's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. Debbie was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.      Debbie was a natural and creative aunt who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Debbie, being an aunt was an enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Debbie was blessed! Her nieces, nephews and great nieces were like her children.: Kristin, Jacob, Josh, Jennifer, Jeff,. They were also blessed with four great nieces and nephews., Erin and Camryn and Oceane and Orion.      Debbie was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was a reservationist for U.S. Airways. She was employed for ten years and loved her job. Debbie was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Debbie had the uncanny ability to identify a win/ solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Debbie's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.      Because Debbie loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were cooking, collecting recipes, swimming and snorkeling. Debbie had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Debbie's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.      Debbie derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Debbie was on the swimming team. Recreational sports included swimming. .      Throughout her life, Debbie was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Debbie seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Debbie usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine.       Because Debbie was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Debbie's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Debbie found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Politically, Debbie was a democrat.      Debbie's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manner fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Debbie took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. One of her favorite vacations included the Grand Cayman Island and Hawaii.      Debbie was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Her" family "was rounded out by Sabrina ,a buff Cocker Spaniel, later, a black cocker named Jake . Over the years, she and her husband, had three cats. Max, Koko and Bailey. Sadly, only her cat Bailey survives and he senses her absence daily.      Debra Ann Dwyer /Tate passed away on November 16, 2009 at her home. Debbie had a weak heart and was diabetic. She is survived by her husband Thomas, sisters Linda and Sherry and brothers Pat Jr., Mark and Darin.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Debbie . She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Debbie Tate for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Debbie was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones. She will be terribly missed by all who knew and loved her .( Rest now dear wife, I will see you on the other side directly. ) Your husband, and devoted friend , Thomas.