Obituary of Debra Whaley

Debra Herring Whaley, of Anchorage, Alaska, age 62, lost her six month battle with cancer on January 8, 2016.Debra was born on August 30th, 1953, in North Bend, Oregon to Ion and Barbara Herring (Johannessohn). She graduated high school in 1971 and graduated from Central Oregon Community College as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1973, both schools being in Bend, Oregon. She married Curtis Whaley on September 8th, 1973. She worked many years as a nurse in various fields of healthcare, her last and most passionate position being at the Veterans Affairs Clinic in Anchorage, Alaska.Debra is preceded by her father Ion Herring of Oregon, and her middle son Jason Whaley. She is survived by her husband Curtis Whaley, her daughter Melinda (Andrew) Palmer, her sons Curtis (Cassandra) and Steven Whaley, her mother Barbara Johannessohn of Minnesota, five sisters and three brothers, along with eleven grandchildren.Debra was very proud of her husband's 22 years of service in the US Coast Guard, her son Jason's service in the US Air Force, and was proud of having been a military wife. Debra was patriotic, loyal, genuine, protective, humble, and had a faith that was unbending. She was proud to have led a clean life, adhering to the LDS word of wisdom. She had a razor wit and a mischievous side that made her humor an absolute joy to be around. She loved frogs and horses, Oregon Ducks and Green Bay Packers football, and anything colored green. She was a voracious reader, loved to go camping with her husband all over Alaska, and enjoyed being near the ocean. She owned her own small business making custom jewelry. Debra's love, compassion, and selflessness exemplified what it meant to be a nurse, devoted wife, and mother!In lieu of sending flowers, the Whaley family requests that donations be made to a memorial fund for Debra through AlaskaUSA FCU, under the name of Curtis L. Whaley.