ANDREWS, Deborah Anne
July 8, 1958 - March 15, 2007
Deborah Anne Andrews (nee McAllister) passed away peacefully at Foothills Medical Centre with her family by her side after a lengthy illness. Cherished daughter of Dorothy and the late Bill McAllister, Debbie will also be sadly missed by her brother Mike McAllister and his wife Judy as well as nephew David McAllister and niece Johanna Cameron (nee McAllister). Also left to mourn is Debbie's partner of eleven years, Dan Giesbrecht.
Debbie was born in Lethbridge, Alberta and was a gift of love and laughter to her parents, Bill and Dorothy. Debbie married Barry Andrews of Calgary in 1978 and was divorced in 1988. Debbie later worked for twenty years in the mailroom and bankruptcy departments at the Calgary office of Deloitte and Touche Inc. Debbie was truly at home in the mountains from an early age. As a child she often visited the family cabin in Harvie Heights and later enjoyed hiking the numerous trails in the Canmore area as a member of the Calgary Weekend Hikers. Debbie also greatly enjoyed country music, Robert Service poetry and dancing and met her partner Dan at a ballroom dance class in 1996.
In recent years, she and Dan often spent time together at their weekend home in Harvie Heights accompanied by Debbie's mother Dorothy, neighborhood cats Oscar and Cleo and other assorted wildlife that would drop in from time to time. Debbie was always considerate and polite to everyone she met and all who knew her will fondly remember her kind and gentle nature.
Barry Simpkins remembers Debbie.
I was shocked to see Debbie Andrews’ obituary in the Calgary Herald recently - she passed away a few months shy of her 49th birthday.
She had been a member of our club during the late 80’s and early 90’s, but left shortly after meeting Dan Giesbrecht, her partner since 1996. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in missing Debbie’s company on the trails over the past decade, she was energetic, soft-spoken, and a great hiker. She was a member of the group I led to the summit of “The Wedge” in 1993, along with Dianne McDermid, Bill Croft, John Lishman, Terry Millar and George Sykora.
Debbie, you’ve left us much too soon. We mourn your premature departure, and grieve you along with Dan and your loving family.