Deborah Lynn Whiting

After 73 years of chasing blanket days, our wonderful Mom, Grammy, Sister, Aunt, and Friend has officially finished her earthly mission. She passed away peacefully on April 11, 2026, under the careful watch of her son and daughter-in-law.

Born on October 27, 1952, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Robert Almon and Mary (Hess) Witham, she was the oldest child, sibling to Donni (Bob), Mike (Judy), and Barbara, and possessed a boisterous, adventurous spirit from the very start. A legendary escape artist who literally couldn’t be contained, her parents famously had to tie her into her bed just to keep her from wandering off on her next grand adventure, which occasionally involved pulling off her diaper for a naked sprint down the street. From those early days, she grew into the steady heart for her siblings, the glue that held them all together. She was a natural-born leader who "ran the show" from a young age, stepping in to fix breakfast and keep the house humming for her brother and sisters whenever needed. That fire followed her onto the softball field, where she was a powerhouse catcher and the steady anchor behind the plate for her pitcher sister, Donni.

While living in California, she met a missionary named Elder Whiting; after hearing rumors that he might be a bit of a "party pooper," she and a friend decided to give him a proper welcome by slathering his entire apartment in Vaseline. Following that legendary introduction, she carried her own faith and competitive grit across the ocean to serve a mission in Rome, Italy. Throughout her life, she truly loved to serve. Through many church callings, she never just did the minimum. She always went the extra mile and took the extra steps to fulfill her responsibilities in the best way possible.

Upon her return, she moved back to California before heading to BYU, where she reunited with that same missionary from before. Their match was truly made in mischief; Scott eventually proposed to her on April Fools' Day, asking three times, joking for the first two, but becoming absolutely serious on the third. She finally said yes to a lifetime of laughter. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on July 14, 1978. They started their family right away, welcoming their first daughter as the ultimate one-year wedding anniversary present.

Through every trial, she remained the person everyone stuck to, the one who kept the family bond unbreakable. She was a fiercely supportive mother to her six children: Melinda (Jason) Bon, Jill (Moises) De La Cruz, Brian (Danica) Whiting, David (Maryann) Whiting, Elizabeth Vanfleet, and Emily (Sam) Case. With a "revolving door", plus an in-home daycare, she was also a mom to most of the neighborhood; in her home, everyone was welcome.

She fostered deep relationships with faraway family by coordinating trips to California every summer so the kids would know their West Coast roots as deeply as their Utah ones. This same devotion to family fueled her passion for genealogy. She spent countless hours meticulously researching and recovering names and legacies that might have been lost to time. Through her tireless work, she accomplished an incredible amount, ensuring that her family's history was preserved for every generation to follow.

Her light lives on through her children and 15 grandchildren: Andrew, Ariel, Joshua, Benji, Paisley, Gabriel, Emma, TK, JJ, Camila, Naomi, Boston, RJ, Gordon, and Mack. While she was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and her two sisters, her spirit, influence, and example remain a light for all who knew her.

Visitation will be held Friday, April 24, 2026, at Valley View Memorial Park, 4335 West 4100 South in West Valley City, from 6:00-8:00 pm. An additional visitation will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 11:00-11:45 am, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 pm at the LDS Meetinghouse located at 4715 S. 4300 W. in Kearns, Utah. Interment to follow at Valley View Memorial Park.