Deborah Kathryn Ferree, 72, of Tampa, Florida, entered into rest with Jesus after a valiant fight with cancer on September 11, 2026.

Debbie was born to Ronald and Kathryn Ferree in Morristown, New Jersey, on January 11, 1954. The oldest of four children, she is survived by siblings Pam Ferree, Heidi Temple (JeN), and JeN Ferree (Sheryl); nieces and nephews, Alan Temple (Janelle), Corrie Duckworth (Ryan), Joseph Ferree, Holly Mayton (Wesley), Nicholas Ferree, and Jesse Ferree; her grandnephews Aaron, Andy, Daniel, August, Beau, Cade, and Theodore, and grandniece River. 

As a child, Debbie loved watching planes take oN with her dad. As she grew, so did her love for flying and outer space, and she wanted to be an astronaut. After graduating from Warren Hills High School and attending Centenary College, she made it to her dream school, the University of Virginia, where she double majored in Applied Mathemetics and Aerospace Engineering. She was the first woman in the Aerospace program and graduated at the top of her class. She went on to earn a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Debbie used her genius for the greater good, serving in the Air Force and working on many top secret and classified projects all over the world. Early in her career, she tested, shipped, and launched a satellite as part of a “launch on demand” program. She spent time at Special Operations Command and became an expert on near real time intelligence and equipment. One of her crowning achievements was the installation of her equipment on MH-53J helicopters during the Gulf War and deemed mission critical. She lived with purpose and never met a problem she couldn’t solve. After 21 years of service, she retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and went on to work as a defense contractor.

Debbie loved broadway musicals and volunteered as an usher at the Straz. It wasn’t long until she was able to put her genius to work again as she was hired full time in Guest Services, house managing shows and running the usher program. One of her proudest moments was bringing back live shows after the pandemic, staging them outside along the Hillsborough River to great success. For her, there was nothing like the thrill of putting on a show and sharing that magic with others. 

Although she never had children of her own, she was a pillar in her community, a leader everyone respected. She lived open-handed with a generous heart. Debbie took amazing care of her mom and they had many adventures together until Kathryn’s death in 1995.  Debbie cherished her role of Aunt/Graunt, showing up for all the milestones and endlessly spoiling her nieces, nephews, and their children. There was always a phone call and a card in the mail for each birthday and holiday. She also had a deep love for her animals, loyally caring for many dogs and cats over the years. The last years of her life were lived to the full with her brother JeN and sister-in-law Sheryl. They, along with sister Pam, traveled the world together. She loved to see the world by any means possible – cruise ship, plane, train, RV, car, or around the world at EPCOT. She also loved a good surprise, whether showing up in grand fashion for an unexpected visit or helping to orchestrate an engagement proposal. She made every day count, living selflessly with joy and a Diet Dr. Pepper always in hand. 

Most of all, Debbie was a woman of humble faith and a lover of God’s Word. One of her last pursuits was a certificate program in theology through Liberty University. She knew there was more to life than her many accomplishments, and her deepest desire was to know God and lead others to Him. Nothing brought her more joy than to see others surrender their lives to Jesus; leading her nephew Jesse to Christ and baptizing him was one of the greatest days of her life. Her confident hope in Jesus carried her to the very end of her time on earth.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Wounded Warriors