Deborah L. Willits

Debbie Willits was a loving and kind-hearted woman, whose generosity of spirit allowed her to accept and embrace other people on their own terms. Her endless charity of gifts during every season and for every reason to those around her is but one of the many wonderful memories she leaves behind. Debbies creativity, generosity, and passion for life will live on in the hearts and memories of all those whose lives she touched. Deborah Debbie Lynn was born on March 31, 1956 in Saginaw, Michigan. Robert Y. and Mary Louise (Beaudin) Mills were proud to have been her parents. The Mills family lived in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where Robert worked for Deluxe Check Printers and Mary Louise was a nurse at Gratiot Hospital. Debbie was their firstborn, and in the years to come helped to care for her younger siblings Michael, Jeanie, Ruth Ann, Marty, and Marie. Debbie was a great big sister. She frequently joked that all she ever heard from her younger siblings was, Debbie, Debbie do this, do that. Throughout her childhood, she enjoyed typical little girl activities, like dolls and reading books like Nancy Drew. She spent a lot of time with her brother, Mike (because they were only a year apart) and cousins, Becky and Terri. As the years passed, the family grew and Deb assumed the role of big sister. Even as a child, Debbie had a feisty personality, and always stood up for what she believed in. She also had a big heart, and accepted other people for who they were. The years passed swiftly by, and before she knew it Debbie had grown into a beautiful and vivacious young woman. Social and outgoing, Debbie made friends easily. She enjoyed being around people, liked to party, and loved to travel. Debbie was a free spirit, and even lived as a hippy for a few years. She and her husband at the time moved to a farm (commune) in Oregon, where they lived in a giant tepee! Debbie continued her education after high school, and completed an associates degree in Medical Billing. She also was certified as a travel agent, a job which allowed her to share her passion for travel with others. Over the years, Debbie worked at various customer service positions in food service, retail sales, and insurance. In her free time, Debbie loved spending time with her nieces and nephews, Jessica, Levi, Alena, Ariel, Dillen, Andrew, Bo, Ava, Katie, Lily, Emma and Grace. Family was very important to her, and she always made time in her life for those she loved. Debbie was also devoted to her pets, and had dogs her whole life. Her first two dogs were Roman and Rosie, who have passed away; she also had an African parrot named Harley (since deceased). Currently, Debbies canine companion was a female dog named Sophie. Debbie was in a committed relationship with her closest friend and the love of her life, Paul Modzelski. In addition to a love of adventure and a zest for life, Debbie and Paul shared a passion for traveling. They loved heading for the open road on new adventures often stopping at nearby casinos to try their luck. In recent years, Debbie, her mother, and her sisters have enjoyed participating in mother-daughter trips together. With her AAA Trip Tiks in hand, Debbie always knew where to go and what to do to have an unforgettable vacation. Closer to home, Debbie expressed her creative side through gardening, crafts and sewing projects (her favorite fabric was velvet). She had numerous collections of antiques and memorabilia; her favorites being Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor. Some of her collection included antique purses, pigs, decorative and antique shoes, and furnishings. Generous, feisty, and free-spirited, Debbie was a loving companion, a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and a loyal friend. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her many friends and family members. Deborah Debbie Lynn (Mills) Willits died on December 27, 2012, at the age of 56, after a courageous battle with cancer. An adventurer at heart, she embarks on her final journey alongside her favorite pets, Rose, Roman and Harley. Debbies family includes her significant other, Paul Modzelski; her parents, Robert and Mary Lou Mills of Mt. Pleasant; her siblings and their spouses, Mike Mills of Mt. Pleasant, Jeanie (Marty) Beatty of Mt. Pleasant, Ruth Ann (Michael) Zalewski of Grand Rapids, and Marty Mills and Marie (Jim) Elliott, both of Mt. Pleasant; her nieces and nephews, Jessica, Levi, Alena, Ariel, Dillen, Andrew, Bo, Ava, Katie, Lily, Emma and Grace; and many cousins and friends. A Funeral Mass for Debbie will be held at Noon on Saturday, December 29, at St. Henry Catholic Church, 4079 E. Vernon Road, Rosebush, with Father Bill Rutkowski presiding. The family will receive visitors from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home, 2300 South Lincoln Rd., in Mt. Pleasant with the Vigil beginning at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Saturday one hour prior to the Mass. Please visit Debbies personal memory page at www.CharlesRLux.com, where you can learn more about her life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.