Debra Kay Abrams

Debra Kay (Moore) Abrams, 63, passed away the evening of September 24th after a 4-1/2 year fight with a rare interstitial lung disease. Born to Thelma (Farmer) and ‘OH’ Moore on September 22, 1954, in Houston, Texas, she spent her early years in Houston and Galveston before moving to Austin in the late 60’s. In 1983, while working for the Travis County Department of Human Services she met the love of her life, Jim Abrams Jr., it was the best thing that ever happened to the two of them.

They celebrated her 30th birthday at the Club Med in Martinique, the first of many Club Meds they visited in the Caribbean and Mexico. It was just the beginning of their lifelong travels to interesting and unique places throughout the US and world. In March of 1990, Judge Perkins married Deb and Jim under a tiny red oak in the backyard of their South Austin home. The tree is now massive and the casa has become a testament to her tastes and desires. Deb retired in 2012, after more than a decade as office manager from the Sunset Valley Police Department.

Deb was a passionate animal lover, especially four legged furry ones. She had office cats at the police department and at least two at home at all times, she wanted to pet and scratch every stray she ever saw, be it dogs in Guatemala or cats in Delphi. She was a fund raiser and volunteered with local animal rescue organizations and the Austin Zoo.

But Deb’s passion in life was her riding; nothing gave her greater joy than spending time on her dressage steed Gizmo out at the Galloping Springs barn among her riding buds. The sparkle in her eye, smile on her face and confidence in her manner even when just talking about Gizmo and her barn friends was obvious to the whole world.

In the 34 years Deb and Jim had together on this planet they shared a multitude of experiences. From four wheeling the highest passes in North America, to moonlight hiking in Arches Nat’l Park, diving the Great Barrier Reef, to parasailing off the cliffs of Miraflores in Peru, to rafting the Grand Canyon, and dodging icebergs in Greenland, they didn’t leave much untried. Perhaps two of her favorite traveling experiences would be the photo safari to southern Africa and the 2015, Iditarod 1000-mile dog sled race where she rode with a musher from the Anchorage start to the first checkpoint.

In general Deb was kind and generous, almost to a fault! Her annual Christmas brunch for her friends of Bill W. was legend. She was always doing something for family and those around her. She loved and spoiled her grandnieces like they were her own grandkids and was always looking for a way to help others. She is survived by her husband Jim; brother Bill Mayne and wife Sallie, and their two sons, Chris and Bryant; and by her sister’s son Carl and daughter Tammy. She was predeceased by her parents, and sister Pat Gutkowski and her eldest son Craig.

Special thanks to Dr. Stephen Frankel, pulmonologist at National Jewish Hospital, Denver, for his help dealing with her devastating disease. And especially to Deb’s best friend, “nurse” Nancy McVey who was with her through all the doctor/treatment visits over the 4-1/2 years and was at her bedside when she passed.

A celebration of her life will be held at 10 am, Saturday, October 7, 2017, at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, Pastor Jim Sweet presiding. A private gathering of family at home will follow the memorial. Contributions in her name may be made to the PALS program of Meals on Wheels, Emancipet, the Austin Zoo or the Salvation Army.