Debra “Debbie” Mae Crossley Isbelle died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in Lewiston. She was 70 years old, and was a member of the Church of Christ in Lewiston.
She was born June 28, 1950, in Downey, Idaho, to Virgil Hall Crossley and Gwen Sperry Crossley. She was the fourth of five children. She graduated from Lewiston High School in 1968, married Rodney Clark and lived in Lewiston until their divorce in 1970.
Debbie then moved to Puyallup, Wash., in 1971 and married Larry Messick. During that time, she worked for Powder River Clothing Factory and House of Fabrics. She and Larry divorced in 2001, and she moved back to Lewiston and worked at JoAnn Fabrics, Walgreens and Tri-State Hospital. She later married Jerry Isbelle and owned Lewiston Electric Motors with him for several years. They later divorced in 2018, though Debbie continued to live in Lewiston until her death.
She was a proficient seamstress and owned her own sewing business for about 50 years. She led a simple life, but had a big heart and loved, and was loved by, many people, both in Idaho and Washington. She often shared her love for baking in the form of meals and treats for many. Besides sewing, she loved to bowl, travel, root for her favorite sports teams and sing karaoke (with a group fondly known as “the Overtime Gang”). Debbie loved being a mother, grandmother and (as of August) great-grandmother. She was “mom” or “grandma” to many and openly showed her love to all of them. In 2019, she was baptized as a Christian, and considered this to be her greatest accomplishment. Words cannot describe how we will miss her and her laughter.
Debbie was preceded in death by her half-sister, Faye Crossley; and brothers, Lloyd Crossley and Gary Crossley. She is survived by her brother, David Crossley; step-sister, Kathy Adams; two daughters, Honey Lynn (Chad) Sychtysz and Cheryl Rae (Matt) Palmquist; grandchildren, Larissa Lynch (Tim), Logan Sychtysz, Kaci Allen, Nathan Palmquist and Daniel Palmquist; and great-grandchild, Finnegan Lynch. She also had what she called “bonus children,” Randy (Hayley) Isbelle, Ryan Isbelle and Katy (Nick) Maw; “bonus grandchildren,” Chase, Jacklynn, Kyrie, Bethany and Adi; as well as many nieces, nephews and informally “adopted” family members.
Because of the restrictions on gatherings at this time, the family has decided to postpone a memorial for Debbie until the spring of 2021. The plan is to have an in-person service in Lewiston that will also be live-streamed for remote viewing. Honey Sychtysz will be the person to contact for this, at honeylynns2020@gmail.com
Debbie passed away because of a sudden heart attack on Dec. 4, 2020.
A service to celebrate her life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Lewiston Church of Christ, 302 Southway Ave., Lewiston. A reception will be held at Pioneer Park at 11 a.m. Please bring your own chairs to the reception, as seating will be limited. There will be karaoke and light refreshments as well. Please direct any questions to honeylynns2020@gmail.com.
The service will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend, at the following link: bit.ly/3qjdbxW.
Service Information
- Date & Time
- Saturday, June 26, 10:00 AM
- Location
-
Church of Christ
302 Southway Avenue
Lewiston, Idaho 83501
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- A reception will be held at Pioneer Park at 11 a.m.
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