Debra “Debby” Louise Brooks passed away peacefully on Monday February 11, 2019, her 66th birthday, surrounded by her loving family in Saratoga Springs, Utah. She passed from respiratory failure associated with ALS. She was born on Wednesday February 11, 1953 in Monroe, Michigan.
She had a hard life growing up, and chose to move away from home at age 13. She traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana to live with family where she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints soon thereafter. Before her last year of high school she moved to Provo, Utah, where she graduated from Provo High School in 1971.
She later moved to Ohio where she met and married Michael “Mike” Boesch in Mayfield Heights, Ohio on Saturday May 3, 1980. They lived in Mentor, Ohio and were in the Kirtland Ward for over 30 years. She worked as a caregiver in a group home from 1996-2013.
She also co-owned a small business with her sister Renee called Brooks Manor Assisted Living for a few years, a life dream of hers. Her health began to fail her in 2011. After two years of medical testing, she was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2013.
Over the course of the next five years her disease spread throughout her arms eventually leaving them almost entirely useless. It then traveled to her lungs. Even as her body failed her, she remained remarkably positive and continued to uplift others.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Willard Ray Brooks and Olive Wanda Lee Ellison Brooks. She is survived by her siblings Renee “Sue” Denise Brooks Zapart (Marion) of Chicago, Illinois, Gail Lynn Brooks Jimenez of Hollywood, Florida, Kimberly Ann Brooks Rupp Howell (Dean) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and her brother Anthony “Tony” Ray Brooks Halt of Chicago, Illinois. Michael William Boesch and their four children: Lindsay Marie Boesch of Salt Lake City, Utah, Whitney Gail Tonkinson of Saratoga Springs, Utah, (Mark Aaron Tonkinson), Ashley Brooke Rivera of Ogden, Utah, (Shane Michael Rivera) and Daniel Michael Boesch of Provo, Utah.
As well as her four beautiful grandchildren Liam Michael Rivera (3), Elliott Maxwell Tonkinson (3), Bennett McKay Tonkinson (1), and Kenya Brooke Rivera (9 months). Funeral services will be held Saturday February 16, 2019 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Harvest Hills 1st Ward building at 270 West Harvest Hills Blvd Saratoga Springs, Utah at 11:00 am. A viewing will be held prior to the services from 10:00 am to 10:45 am.
Interment will be located at the Provo City Cemetery following the services.
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