Debra Lynn Margraff, 63

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Debbie Margraff at age 63. Debbie was born Sept. 13, 1961, in Loveland, Colo., to Richard L. Pitner and Karen R. Knoll. She moved to Fort Collins when she was 7 and completed her schooling there. She has been a resident of Idaho for 40-plus years.

After accounting jobs and various secretarial positions, she was recommended by a close friend and was hired for the job of her dreams at Aspen Nursery. For the past 10 years, she has done mostly contractor sales. All that socialization and all about plants was right up her alley. She loved that job, was proud of it and it became a big part of who she was. She was a faithful Denver Broncos fan, a huge Gonzaga basketball follower and a NASCAR fan. She loved sunshine and mountains and rivers and forests and mushrooms and flowers and animals of all kinds. And her little rescued dog, Murphy, had the best mom in the whole world. She loved nurturing her flower and veggie garden. She would bring home sickly flowers headed for the trash and nurse them back to healthy, beautiful plants.

Debbie was really something, and she had many interests. Deb found peace in nature and the earth. She loved hunting mushrooms, picking huckleberries and making jelly, which she shared with her family, and shipping jars all over the country. A lot of time was spent in the woods. She liked crafts, hiking, camping and traveling and was an avid reader. She liked to bake and was also interested in quilting and even astronomy. She tracked the planets, could point them out in the night sky and even wrote poetry earlier in her life.

She talked to people and made friends wherever she went. Deb could converse with someone for about as long as they wanted to converse. It's somewhat of a family trait. She was fortunate to have close friends, some that date back to high school, that she kept in contact with on a regular basis.

Steve McCabe had the extremely good fortune of spending the last 24 ½ years with Debbie. He had the pleasure of getting to know her large and very loving family. She also became a huge part of his family. She will be extremely missed by many. 

Deb would get up and walk on the treadmill at 5:30 a.m., practically lived on produce and vegetables, and had an active social life. Her sudden and unexpected demise is a terrible shock to her friends and loved ones. We who knew her are so grateful for having had her in our lives but with huge sadness at her loss.

Debbie was preceded in death by her son from a previous marriage, Sonny (Dan) (Lucinda) Cook.

Debra is survived by her significant other, Steve McCabe, of Coeur d’Alene; her beloved dog, Murphy; father Richard L. Pitner of Fort Collins, Colo.; mother Karen R. Knoll of Heber, Ariz.; Stepfather Frank Knoll, also Heber, Ariz.; brother Richard W. (Cari) Pitner and family of Greeley, Colo.; brother Gregory (Tara) Pitner and family of Scottsdale, Ariz.; sister Kelly Frazier (Justin) and family of Groton, Mass.; brother Charles R. “Chad” Pitner of Demming, N.M., and numerous nieces and nephews.

Please join us for her celebration of life, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Ponderosa Springs Golf Course.   

Visit Debra's memorial and sign her online guestbook at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.