Debra Kay Brasington Peterson passed away in Apollo Beach, Florida on October 25, 2024, after a hard fought battle with cancer. Throughout her treatments she maintained her positive outlook and always believed in God’s plan. Debbie was born on February 26, 1956, in Columbus, Georgia to Marvin and Shirley Brasington. She was the elder sister of Reida Brasington Griffin and Keith Brasington. Growing up, their family shared a lot of laughter and love. As a young child, Debbie was afraid of dogs, but during a professional portrait session as a toddler, she encountered the first dog she liked. This sparked a lifelong love of dogs. Throughout her life Debbie had many beloved dogs including Sue, Tiana, Muffin, Ewok, Jazzy, Sugar, Pablo, Tucker, and Coco. She was active in the Tampa Bay dog rescue community with Lost Angels Animal Rescue. After high school, she studied to be a dental hygienist. Her career as a dental hygienist led her on an adventure when she moved to Saudi Arabia for work. Debbie spent over a decade living in Saudi Arabia where she met many wonderful friends from around the world and her beloved husband Ronald Peterson.
Debbie and Ron married on February 17, 1996. Together they traveled the world including a trip around the world for their honeymoon. Debbie loved traveling and visited 43 countries during her lifetime. She especially enjoyed visiting Russia both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union. After living in Saudi Arabia, Debbie and Ron decided to come home to the United States. Together they built a beautiful house on the water in Apollo Beach. Debbie loved spending time on their dock watching dolphins and decorated her house with all of the exotic curios she acquired on her travels. Debbie was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church in Ruskin, Florida and loved being part of the community there. Debbie was a devoted aunt to her two nephews and two nieces. She loved taking them to amusement parks around Florida including taking her nephews to Sea World and her nieces to Busch Gardens, where she especially loved riding the Congo River Rapids Ride with them. Her love of being an aunt was multiplied when she became a great aunt, and she loved her great nieces dearly. Debbie is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Shirley; her sister, Reida and her brother Keith. She is survived by her husband, Ron; her step-mother, Ann (Scotty); her sister-in-law, Joy; her nephews, Jared and Jacob (Megan); her nieces, Paige (Mark) and Leah and her great-nieces, Micaleigh and Emma Jean. A celebration of life will be held on March 1, 2025 at Calvary Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, Debbie requested that donations go to the Lost Angels Animal Rescue to help dogs in need that she loved so much.
