Deborah “Debbie” Ann Detlefsen

Debbie was the daughter of Larry and Geri Sjoberg, who raised her with unwavering devotion. They poured their hearts into raising a daughter who grew into a woman of extraordinary kindness, generosity, and strength. She grew up alongside her brothers Larry Jr. and Michael, teasing Larry Jr. endlessly that they were “basically the same age,” being only eleven months apart — a joke that always made her laugh and always made him groan.

When Debbie was young, her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her world blossomed. She played violin and cello in the New Mexico Youth Symphony, filling concert halls with the same warmth she carried in her everyday life. She played softball as a teenager, bringing her competitive spark and joyful energy to every game. She graduated high school in New Mexico, where she met lifelong friends she cherished for decades — friendships that stayed strong through moves, marriages, and the changing seasons of life.

Debbie became a mother to two daughters, Ashley and Cynthia (“Cindy”), and poured her entire soul into raising them. Her love for her girls was fierce, protective, and endless.

Years later, life brought Debbie and Ashley to Alabama, where she built another circle of love. She created a family there friends, neighbors, coworkers, who adored her deeply and who will forever feel the emptiness of her absence. Alabama became a home because she made it one.

Debbie is survived by her parents Larry and Geri, her brothers Larry Jr. and Michael, her daughters Ashley Brewster (husband Thomas Brewster) and Cynthia “Cindy” Echavarria (husband Jason Echavarria), and her grandchildren: Tyler, Trent, Abby, Faith, Ileana, Jason Jr., and Jordan. To Debbie, there were no “step” grandchildren — only grandchildren she loved with her whole heart.

She also cared deeply for the extended family she gained later in life, embracing them with the same warmth and generosity she gave to everyone she loved.

Her grandkids were her joy. Whether she was going places with them, celebrating milestones, or simply being present, she poured her entire soul into making memories. They were her pride, her purpose, and her greatest happiness.

Debbie loved holidays with a passion that could fill a home. Every celebration was big, loud, warm, and overflowing with food, laughter, and people. If someone had nowhere to go, they came to her table. If someone felt alone, she made sure they didn’t stay that way. She believed no one should spend a holiday without love — and she lived that belief every single year.

She had a playful, colorful spirit. She loved Christmas, Jeeps, and the color blue. She collected tigers and M&Ms, decorating her Jeep in full M&M style because it made her smile and made everyone else smile too. She baked with a magic touch, her rice krispy treats, made from only three ingredients, were somehow the best anyone had ever tasted, but never could be duplicated because she poured her love into them!

Debbie never wanted a service. She didn’t want people to gather in sorrow; she wanted them to remember her with joy, knowing she believed she would be in a better place. She wanted her legacy to be love — not grief.

And that legacy is enormous.

The world lost a woman who saw the good in everyone.

A woman who opened her arms to anyone who needed warmth.

A woman who created family everywhere she went.

A woman who loved harder than anyone else.

Her absence is heavy. Her love is unforgettable.

Her impact will be felt for generations.

With all the love she gave us,

Ashley and Cindy want the world to know this:

We loved her more than words will ever be able to hold.

She was our safe place, our strength, our laughter, our home.

We were blessed to be her daughters, and we will carry her heart, her kindness, and her love with us for the rest of our lives.

We will honor her by loving others the way she taught us — fully, fiercely, and without hesitation.

Mom, we love you endlessly. We will miss you forever.