Obituary of Deborah Jean Szymczyk

Deborah ‘Debbie’ Jean Smith Szymczyk, passed away on May 8th, 2020, after a battle with brain cancer . She was a beloved wife, mother, friend, and educator. She is survived by her husband Tony, her children Anthony and Cassie, her parents, Ann and Gary, her three sisters Maureen, Julie, and Jennifer, as well as many cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends, and colleague.   

Born in New London, Connecticut, on June 9^th, 1964, she was the third daughter of four girls. After a childhood moving around the country with her family, she graduated from W. T. Woodson High School in 1982. She graduated from Radford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business in 1986 and was a founding member of the Xi Delta chapter of the Delta Zeta sorority. In 1991 she married her husband Tony Szymczyk and began their family. A more wonderful, supportive, and loving mother could not have been asked for. No question went without an answer, no dream went unpursued, no hurt went unattended to.

After receiving her Master’s Degree in Education from George Mason University, she went on to teach first grade for ten years at King’s Park Elementary School. She completely dedicated herself to the success of her students, working tirelessly to teach them all she could. She was an avid lover of animals, raising not only the standard cats and dogs but also an axolotl, a hedgehog, and many, many fish over the years. Her unbridled enthusiasm for life was an inspiration to all around her, and her generous spirit will be remembered by all who knew her.