Deborah Bastin Snavely

Deborah (Deb) Snavely, age 71, of Fairborn, Ohio passed away peacefully after a long illness on December 4, 2025. Deb was born on September 5, 1954 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base Hospital in Dayton, the daughter of the late Bobby J. and Doris (Frazier) Bastin. She was born several months premature and her father often glowingly commented that the Air Force staff cared for her “as well as any general’s baby”.

She graduated from Park Hills High School and lived almost her entire life in Fairborn, leaving only to attend college and work briefly in Lexington KY at her beloved University of Kentucky. When there she became an ardent UK basketball fan, a passion she carried throughout her life. While her undergraduate degree was in medical technology, she went on the obtain her MBA from Wright State University and spent most of her career as a contract negotiator for the US Air Force. She ultimately became the Chief of the installation Contracting Division and was admired by her employees for her perseverance, wit, and the mentorship she happily provided.

She also took friends and family undergoing cancer diagnoses under her wing over the years, as she survived stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma while in her 30s. Deb enjoyed her stints as the president of the Dayton chapter of the UK alumni club and as vestry president at St Christopher’s Episcopal Church. She sang alto in the St Christopher’s choir and enjoyed the weekly women’s group there in her later years as well.

On a personal front, Deb loved to find a good bargain when shopping and often wowed her family with the lengths she would go to in finding a deal; her daughters recall 30 minute drives specifically to buy discount baked goods at Entenmann’s downtown and envelopes of coupons at the ready- “competitive shopping”. She was also politically passionate about women’s rights, and encouraged her girls to aim high in life.

Deb was preceded in death by her husband Dan, with whom she shared 48 years of marriage and who predeceased her by only 10 months. She also lost her sister Teri Nixon earlier this year, and her parents and in-laws (Donald and Antoinette Snavely) have previously passed on as well.

She is survived by her daughters Katie (Ryan) Coffman and Kelsey (Russell May) Snavely, grandsons Henry (11) and Max (7) Coffman, and various nieces and nephews.

Services are planned for Saturday December 20 at St Christopher’s in Fairborn, with a visiting hour at 10:00 and service at 11:00, with lunch to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at https://stvincentdayton.org/

Burcham Tobias Funeral Home in Fairborn is handling arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.burchamtobiasfuneralhome.com.