Debra Stairs

North Carolina -  Debra Ann Stairs, age 55, of Red Springs, NC, passed away on April 15, 2019.

Born Debra Ann Walsh on February 26th, 1964, she was raised in the town of Millbury, Ma, where she met her husband, William Stairs, also of Millbury.  They married on October 3rd, 1986 and moved to North Carolina shortly thereafter.  Debra was a devoted wife and mother who raised a family of three boys while faithfully supporting her husband’s career as a soldier.  From being left at home with three boys in diapers during Desert Storm, to wrestling with those three boys in high school during Iraqi Freedom, she made sure her boys did well in school and were raised in the best home that she could make for them.  She loved her family very much and was always happiest when they could all be together.

Debra didn’t just help keep a family for nearly 33 years, she also kept up a career at Walmart, working in several stores throughout southeastern North Carolina where she was a dedicated employee who loved her co-workers and was loved by them.  She also worked several years with her husband at Straighten-Up Orthodontics in Raeford, NC, where she enjoyed the camaraderie of a close-knit team.  She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Debra was preceded in death by her father John Walsh.  She is survived by her husband William, her son Ryan, an aerospace engineer and student of astrophysics, and his fiancé Stacie Jaynes, her son Alex, a tattoo artist, and his wife Dylann, and her son Zachary, a career soldier currently serving in Afghanistan.  Debra is also survived by her mother Colette Walsh, her sister Diane and her husband Chris Pickett, her sister Donna Raad, and her brothers David and Derek Walsh.  She was a loving aunt to ten nieces and nephews.

Debra was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in February of this year, and despite the competent and caring efforts of numerous medical professionals, the disease could not be stopped.  The family asks that you not only pray for Debra, but also pray for all those who are challenged by cancer.

Family and friends will honor and remember Debra’s life by gathering for a time of visitation on Wednesday, May 1st from 5 to 6 p.m. at Mulhane Home for Funerals, 45 N. Main Street in Millbury.

Her memorial service will follow at 6 p.m. in the funeral home.