Debra Hembroff

Deb was born July 18, 1953, in Portland, Ore., to Melvin A. and Gladys Engel. Debra was in the middle of seven children. They lived in many places as they were always on the move in the Air Force, but Moses Lake, Wash., was where she called home for many years. Debra attended MLHS with the Class of ’71, but life had a different picture. Deb and Larry were married in July 1982 and lived in Moses Lake until they downsized and relocated to the Wenatchee Valley in October of 2015, sadly leaving her dream house in Moses Lake. A smaller property and having Annette, Scott and the grandkids closer to help was worth the sacrifice. She was so proud of her grandkids, all their accomplishments and bright futures: Cadin ’22 - U.S. Navy, Devon ’25 -CWU, Silas ’26 with honors!

After the U & I Sugar plant closed, Debra took advantage of the retraining program and decided to go into nursing. She finished her GED, went to LPN School at BBCC, and then RN School at WVC. She finished her BSN at Gonzaga and then attended PA School at the University of North Dakota. She had so much fun, she continued on to obtain her Master's in PA. She then went back to school to get her teaching credentials and finished all programs with honors! She loved being able to share her nursing skills and knowledge. She worked for many years at Samaritan Hospital, Moses Lake Clinic and Confluence Health. She was forced to retire after an on-the-job, debilitating shoulder injury.

Debra spent a lifetime loving many special cats. She would have brought them all home if her mother had let her. Since she couldn’t bring them home, she regularly helped the local kitty rescue. Her love and devotion to all the neighborhood cats successfully earned her an expenses-paid, one-way golden ticket into Cat Heaven!

This past year, Debra rediscovered her love for quilting. She always pondered why buying fabric, cutting it up, and then sewing it back together was so therapeutic. Kind of a silly ritual, but seeing the finished products was so rewarding. In 2024-2025, she completed a dozen beautiful quilts and gifted them to the people she loved. 

Debra passed away peacefully Nov. 19, 2025, from aspiration pneumonia following a surgical procedure, after a courageous fight with Annette and Nathan by her side. It was a life-changing honor to witness her help four to five families with the gift of life and see a brighter future with her organ donations. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry, in March 2023, and her mom and dad and siblings Sharon and Jeffery. 

Debra’s final request was to be cremated and her ashes spread with her dad. We will honor these final wishes in the spring of 2026.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee.