Deborah A. Pawielski

Deborah A. Pawielski, 52, of Coloma, MI, passed away Thursday, August 14, in Ann Arbor, MI. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Monday, August 18, 3:00PM, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Visiting hours will be on Monday prior to the service, from 1:00-3:00PM, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the We Can Ride 4-H Club, or to the family. Friends wishing to leave a message of condolence, or sign the family guest book, may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com Deb loved living life to the fullest. Always adventurous and spontaneous, she rarely took time to sit and relax. Her favorite pastimes were being with her family, working with her horses, running and exercising, and finding ways to go out and socialize. Giving herself yet another challenge, she studied hard and became a clinical massage therapist. As a teacher (at Watervliet High School for 29 years in special education), she demanded learning and respect from her students, and they loved her dearly. When Deb wasn?t teaching or doing massage work, she loved working outside. After working all day doing landscaping, her idea of relaxing was to run for an hour or so, then go workout at the YMCA. Deb loved to compete in triathlons, 5K and 10K runs, and most recently was running in marathons. She ran several Chicago marathons, and also did well in the Boston Marathon. She loved socializing with friends, going out to eat, and parties, and was extremely fond of dancing. Her latest activity was taking middle eastern dance class, and was becoming very proficient at it. Deb loved music of many varieties. Her father was an accomplished musician and played in a big band. She enjoyed Celtic tunes, classical works, Scottish bagpipes, as well as rock and roll. She adored the Beatles and went to see Paul McCartney last year in Chicago. She will always be remembered as fun loving, vivacious, and caring. Deb never believed in wasting a precious minute of her life. She will be sadly missed by many friends, family, co-workers, and her students. The void she leaves in our lives will never be filled. She truly was one of a kind. Deb was born January 11, 1951, in Ann Arbor, MI, to William and Naomi (Tally) Horner. She is survived by her husband, Bruce, whom she married July 30, 1983; her daughter, Sarah Pawielski of Coloma; two sons, A. Scott Klotz of LaPeer, MI, and Todd Pawielski of Portland, MI; her mother, Naomi Horner of Ypsilanti, MI; a sister, Susan Horner of Ypsilanti, MI; and a brother, Robert (Vicki) Horner of Wolcottville, IN. Preceding her was her father, William Horner.