email ryann.mccorkell@gmail.com and I'll post them up
From Diane:
"The Truth is I’ve been putting this off for what seems like a long time, Deb!
I love you , love as only a big ( okay older) Sister can…. and I just can’t imagine a world without you in it.
I’m so proud to be your sister….
I’ve always envied your playfulness, your ability to be in the moment, your caring, your gumption, your humour…..your very capable brain…..I could go on and on…..but you know the drift.
Not SNOW…..
We share so many stories….we are the daughters of 'Jack and Marlyn'….granddaughters of' EW and Verna'….noone else but us shares that except….Garth and Terry Lee( some of it )….. our cousins from Dad’s side.
Be at Peace, Dear Deb……know You are loved,
You are cherished…..My only wish is that I could crawl in beside you right now….and we’d whisper, giggle, and try not to make too much noise……(maybe share a glass or 2 of wine!)
How many years did we share a bedroom ….I know you are going to say….until I almost smothered you …..but it did get us our very own rooms! Mine green….yours blue! Mom and dad’s was peach! remember? And the Red book? Tell me you remember the Red Book!
Ah! Debbie Dawn….so many memories…..
I send you comfort, light, and a giant love hug!
You are well cared for by Pat….I know that Ryann and Shannon wanted to be there …..as do I …….but the world prevents us right now …….
I’ll always picture you looking out over the water….enchanting…..
Love, Light, Many Blessed memories….."
Your Sister
Diane
***
From Bobbie:
So there was this time when I applied for a job at an office in Winnipeg. It was around 1992. The position was for an office manager/production assistant in training. My business cards said "office wizard". There was this other girl that worked there whose business card said "the suit". Her name was Debra. I never really had the opportunity to talk to her too much as she was on the road a lot. She was in charge of sales. When she was in the office, there was the odd time when we could actually chat and get to know each other a little bit. I realized in very short time she was a person that I really liked. She was kind, thoughtful, generous, hilariously funny, and caring. So one Friday in the middle of summer on a beautiful weekend, I went home and had a huge fight with the ex-husband. Didn’t want to stick around and look at his face all weekend so I decided to grab all my camping gear, throw it in my jeep along with my little dog and head out somewhere. Didn't really know where. That day I had been talking to Debra at the office and she said she didn't have any plans for the weekend so I thought what the hell? I gave her a call, told her what I was doing, and asked her if she wanted to come. Her reply was "give me 20 minutes to throw some clothes in a bag" We headed east on Highway number one towards Kenora. We talked, laughed, drank and had a generally great time. We were getting close to Kenora so I thought we better find a place pretty quick because it was starting to get late, we needed to pitch the tent. We then saw a sign that said “Anicinabe Park”. We both looked at the sign and together shouted “Itchy-Bitchy Park? Let's go!and we laughed and laughed. Pitched the tent, headed to Casey's bar, sat by the fire, met some new friends, and got to know one of the greatest people I have ever met in my life, my great friend Debra. My current husband Gord and I (not the ass) now live in Kenora and every time I see the Itchy-Bitchy Park sign I think of Deb. One of the greatest weekends of my life. Love you girlfriend. ❤️🥃
Then there was the time in 1993, December 27. Myself, the ex, and my daughter Kaleena showed up and rang Deb’s doorbell out of the blue at around 8pm. We had just got married at the JP and wanted to share the news with her first. I think we even called our parents and told them that we had just got married from her house. Too funny as we all know how that ended up. LOL!!
That's a good friend when you know you can share the news with her because she feels like family, like the older sister I never had. 💕🥃
Then there was that time when Debra and I were working at the production company and we had become very close friends. The owners, we’ll call them Narcissist and Narcissista, were just that. Into themselves, their money and screwing anyone they could. Deb and I both had our evaluations scheduled the same morning. We had been there, well I think I was there about six months, I'm not sure how long Debra was there. So Deb walks past me to go into the narcissists’ office and about five minutes later she comes out of his office, walking towards me with a big smile on her face, and says, “See you later kid”. I'm like, what the hell just happened here? We had briefly spoke about how much we both disliked being there because of the personalities we had to deal with. I just didn't know that she would be leaving that morning. Shortly thereafter, I went into the narcissists’ office for my work performance evaluation. He started by telling me that I was doing a great job and then started bashing Debra. I was stunned. Actually I wasn't because that's the way they were. He knew we were friends. So I looked him in the eye, and said you know what? I'm not doing this anymore. Got up, left his office, grabbed my stuff and went home. I unloaded my personal belongings out of the Jeep that I had taken from the office then got back in and headed over to Deb's. She looked at me in surprise and shock. Then we laughed!! We drank her alcohol and then we went to my house, sat on my back deck and drank my alcohol. Later that afternoon, another of our coworkers who would have loved to have walked out as well but wasn’t able to joined us. We all laughed and laughed and had another great day together. That's what friends do. Comfort each other in their time of need. And stand strong beside each other. I love you my friend and would walk out of anywhere to stand beside you.
***
From David:
Debbie Debbie Debbie
I will always remember our 1986 meeting. The young budding entrepreneur in the classic blue business attire in her brand new business centre.
I was in desperate need of a strong administrator to add support so my Phony Baloney Shiny Paper business would soar, and there she was standing right before me in the blue dress. I felt just like James Bond must have felt when he first met Miss Moneypenny. I signed my pact with Debbie in the blue dress right then and from that moment on “ The universe has unfolded as it should “
She introduced me to a cast of ever-changing characters who turned out to be our Rouges Gallery. We moved around a bit going from Lombard to Carlton with Debbie always making sure her clients were being entertained with new characters entering and leaving her centre.
There were computer geeks, insurance gurus, financial wizards, headhunters, entrepreneurs, psychiatrists, horse racing experts accompanied by possible hookers, metal-heads, travel experts, world cup designers, racquet players possibly in the rackets, engineers, electricians, architects, car salesmen, telephone salesmen, deal
makers, cartoonists, she even once unintentionally included a homeless person. I think I could go onand on and still forget some.
The 1986 pact I signed with Debbie in the blue dress, blue dress was the best contract I ever signed. You and I became confidants and are the best of friends forever. I truly consider you to be my Sister.
Lots of love from your oldest living client. Love David
**
From Elizabeth:
Dearest GF
I remember quite vividly the day we met – Friday, after work cocktail hour at Old Baileys. David and I were in the beginning days of our relationship. He wanted to introduce me to his very special friend and a few of the characters (him aside lol) that inhabited your place of business. I was nervous because you meant a lot to him and your opinion of me mattered to him. You arrived at the bar, your smile getting to the table long before you. By the time we finished our first drink I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. As it was then, so it is now.
You and I took such glee in orchestrating ‘kidnap weekends’ for our significant’s. Despite grumblings about being blindfolded with their ties, driven to an unmarked spots on the highway (to keep our destinations secret) to change into casual clothes we so thoughtfully provided, a good time was had by everyone, every time. As you mentioned, our not so veiled hints to those same significant’s never resulted in a return of likeminded events.
You once arranged, for David, to have a Barber Shop Quartet come to the house to sing me Happy Birthday. Very cool. Another birthday you were integral to – David’s 40 th . I arrived at your business centre minutes before the workday ended wearing beneath a fur coat, stilettos, lacy bits, and a red bow (bag in hand with other garments cuz we were all going for drinks). You saw the bow on my neck, gave me the biggest grin, said ‘he’s on the phone’. I sat in David’s office, coat done up, waiting for him to hang up. He kept talking and talking. I finally stood up and did the reveal. He stayed on the phone! There was a knock on the door. I hastily pulled on a dress (he’s still on the phone) and there you were with 40 black balloons and most of the office standing behind you. David still on the phone. You and I couldn’t
stop laughing. And we continued to laugh through spontaneous dinners, cocktails, limo rides to the Eagles concert, plant exchanges for the garden, long visits on the phone. Where we left off on our last chat was where we began the next. And you always start a tale with your infectious laugh. You’d take us up there where stress and heartbreak became a story we could manage, where fear and loss always had a brighter side.
I love you, Deb, always. My arms are around you, always.
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