Deborah Ann Simank

Deborah Ann Simank passed away at home on Monday, February 26, 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on January 1, 1960 to Nancy Petersen Welborn and John L. Welborn in Gainesville, Florida and raised in Miami where she attended and graduated from Miami Southridge High School in 1978. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mt. Holyoke College in 1982 and after graduation, returned to Miami where she taught Biology at Cutler Ridge Junior High school for several years.
   In 1986, Debbie followed her sister and moved to Houston to attend the University of Houston Law Center making Texas her home. While in law school, she clerked with the firm of Hughes, Watters, and Askanase LLP. She earned her Juris Doctorate degree and passed the Texas Bar Exam thus becoming a licensed attorney in 1989. After graduation, she entered private practice in Corpus Christi becoming an Associate attorney with the firm of Kleberg & Head, P.C. before accepting employment as a briefing attorney with the U.S. Federal Courts where she served for over 23 years. Debbie served her country, clerking for three different federal district judges over the span of her career.
   While working at Kleberg, she met her husband Ronald A. Simank. They were married on March 7, 1992 and were blessed with four children; John, Jason, Samantha and Anna. John, unfortunately, passed on the day of his birth. Debbie cherished her surviving children deeply. “They are God’s greatest gift to me,” she said on more than one occasion.
   Earlier in her life she taught youth sailing, volunteered with the Red Cross, and participated at Semester at Sea while attending college. She was a sustaining member of the Junior League of Corpus Christi and a member of Galilean Lutheran Church, having held various offices and served in many leadership roles.
   Debbie loved children, stray animals and anyone in need. She gave generously of herself to others and was always ready to comfort a hurt or defend against a wrong. Debbie enjoyed her yearly ski trips with family and friends and her daily workouts with her friends. She will always be remembered for her sense of humor, contagious laugh, generous spirit, endless wisdom, warm and outgoing personality, and her strength and courage. She was a loving wife, mother, sister and friend.
   Deborah is preceded in death by her mother, Nancy Petersen Dwyer, father, John L. Welborn, and son, John Leslie Simank. Deborah is survived by her husband, Ronald A. Simank, son, Jason Simank, daughters, Samantha and Anna Simank, and siblings, Catherine Welborn Hoeg of Houston, Texas, and John Arthur Welborn of Memphis, Tennessee, mother-in-law, Lisa Welborn of Miami, Florida.
The family would like to express their gratitude to Deborah’s caregivers, Sally Salazar and Tina Alonzo.
A Memorial Service will be celebrated at 2 p.m. on the 3rd of March 2018 at Galilean Lutheran Church. A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pee Wees Animal Shelter, Metro Ministries of Corpus Christi, the ELCA World Hunger fund, or to a favorite charity.

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