Obituary of Debra Tordoff Debra K. (Bly) Tordoff, 61, passed away Monday morning, September 3, 2018 at her home in Ellington following a courageous battle with cancer. She was born January 27, 1957 in Elmira, NY, a daughter of Esther Miller Bly and the late Frank Bly, Jr She was proud to come from a family dairy farm that raised and showed Jerseys.
A 1975 graduate of Pine Valley Central School, Debra received her Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia in 2002 and Master’s Degree in Education in 2008. In earlier years, she was employed by the Cockaigne Ski Area, as a receptionist at Lutheran Social Services and by the TriCounty Chemical Dependency Clinic. Since 2002, she has taught English at Cassadaga Valley Central School, where she coached softball for 15 years and served as Class Advisor and past Quiz Bowl Team advisor.
Debra had an extraordinary relationship with students. Known for her kindness and generosity, she loved them and they her. She helped them believe in themselves, always gave them hope, and taught them to be kind.
Debra enjoyed participating in athletics while in school and continued to play softball for over 18 years following graduation, excelling as a pitcher. She shared in her late husband’s passion for the Cleveland Browns and love to travel. Always an artistic person, she had a natural talent expressed through her wood burning, gourd carving and painting that she loved to share with her family and friends.
Most of all, she loved and was so very proud of her sons. Debra’s stories were loved by all. Many times the simplest task would turn into an escapade that even the best fiction writer could not create.
She had a way to capture the unexpected and make the best of everything. Most recently, she was honored at the 7th annual Little League “Hits For A Cure” held this past June. In addition to her mother, Esther, of Ellington, Debra is survived by two sons: Jordan (Erin) Moyer and Colin (Rae Wilson) Moyer, both of Galena, OH; her fiancé, John Cline of Falconer; a sister, Lori (Doug) Maloy of Warren, PA and two brothers, Kevin (Cindy) Bly of Cherry Creek, NY and Scott Bly of Honolulu, HI; and a niece, Amiti Maloy, two nephews, Scott Maloy and Reece Bly, and her niece, Rylee Bly with whom Debra was especially close.
Debra is also survived and loved by her caring and special friends, Rhonda Lindquist, June Prince and Tammy Rice. In addition to her father, Debra was preceded in death by her husband, John S. Tordoff, Jr. whom she married May 10, 1986 and who died Aril 27, 2006. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Falconer.
The Rev. Timothy J. Hoyer will officiate. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in the Lind Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the Ellington Emergency Fund, 4369 Waterboro Rd. , Kennedy, NY 14747; or the Coffee Company, c/o Danyal Dahl at Cassadaga Valley Central School, P.O. Box 540, Sinclairville, NY 14782.
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