Debra "Deb" Rae Reinertson

Debra (Deb) Rae Reinertson 74, of Davison, Michigan, passed away on September 30, 2025, at Hurley Hospital. Deb was born on May 13, 1951, to Jacquelyn (Hornung) and Donald Reinertson in Lansing, Michigan. She attended Grand Blanc High School, graduating class of 1969. She matriculated to Michigan State University and later completed her undergraduate course work in computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan. Deb worked as a draftsman, a technical salesperson, a gardener, an assembly line worker, and as a software engineer. Deb received her master’s degree while working at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), a U.S. Navy organization. She retired from SPAWAR in 2017.

Deb was an avid and accomplished gardener who loved outdoor and indoor plants alike. Her own garden was filled with plants she selected for color and visual interest, and she made beautiful gardens for her loved ones. She was passionate about orchids and was always on the hunt to find rare and unusual orchids – the more difficult to grow, the better. Deb enjoyed keeping tropical fish, visiting art museums, and touring botanical gardens.

She is survived by her mother, Jackie Reinertson; siblings, Sandee (Marc) Dutton, Charlie Reinertson, and Tom Reinertson; nieces and nephews, Jessica Sprovtsoff, Brian Reinertson, Glenn Reinertson, Samantha Sangrey, Dana Burke, Charlie Reinertson, Kate Reinertson; and many grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Eleanor and Edmund Hornung, and her nephew, Nicholas Sprovtsoff.

A burial service will be held on October 18, 2025, at 1 p.m. at Millington Cemetery. Hill Funeral Home is assisting the family. Any memorial contributions may be made in Deb’s name to the Michigan Orchid Society, MOS c/o D. Dudas, 4737 Baldwin, Metamora, MI 48455, or The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203.