Deborah ‘Debbie’ Lea Brunton, 65, of Eureka passed away at Stanford Medical Center July 28, 2020. This beautiful woman was born November 6, 1954 to L.C. and Monda Hall in San Jose. She spent most of her life on Pine Hill in Eureka. She loved riding horses in the neighborhood before there were many houses. Debbie attended Pine Hill Elementary School, Jacobs Junior High, and graduated Eureka High School in 1972.

Debbie’s early employment was in the dental field with several local dentists. She was very talented and artistic. She demonstrated this with her work as a manicurist. She moved into the food service industry by cooking and delivering gourmet meals to friends and acquaintances thus creating her business Deb’s Kitchen. Later she ran the Turf Club Cafe at Redwood Acres from 2000-2005. She then took a few years off to be a grandma. In 2018 Debbie retired after working six years in the deli at the Eureka Co-Op.

Debbie always said her greatest accomplishment was being a mother to Eric and Aaron. There may have been a mother just as good as her, but it was not possible to be a better one.

On October 29, 1981 life changed for Debbie and her boys when they met David “Willie” Brunton. Willie became a constant in their lives. On August 16, 1982 she and Willie married in a small ceremony in Arcata, CA. Many trips and adventures followed: Disneyland, several trips to New York, Maui, Mendocino, and their favorite city—San Francisco. Debbie planned most of these trips. Debbie and Willie laughed hard and often in their almost 38 years of marriage. They were best friends and nobody could ask for anything better than that.

Debbie is survived by her husband, Willie, her sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and Taunya and Aaron and Joy, her mother, Monda, grandchildren, Seth, Luke, Adam, Emmit, Liam, Morgan and Scarlett. She is also survived by foster siblings Rod and Melynda Burbage and Sheryl Ladette, numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins—special cousins Kristen, Cheryl, Craig and Gayle—sisters and brothers-in-law Judy and Howard Ryan, Marjorie Brunton, Nancy Brunton, William and Angela Brunton and their children and grandchildren from New York, Florida and Germany. And, of course, her beloved cat, Prudence affectionately known as Prudy.

Debbie was preceded in death by her father, L.C., grandparents Harry and Pansie Hall and Bud and Rosie Lena Carter, her special Great-Grandma Susie, sister and brother-in law Mary Lou and John Stewart and granddaughter Elizabeth Brunton.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date with family and friends. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the doctors and nurses at Stanford Medical Center, the many caregivers within the St. Joseph Health System, Laura Hall NP-C, the workers with Mad River Home Health, and Monique at Humboldt Cremations. In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Debbie’s name to the Sequoia Humane Society, March of Dimes or St. Jude. These charities were near and dear to her heart.

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