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Obituary for DEBRA A. BARNES
On the 7th of January 2017, Debra Anne Barnes was called home to be with the Lord. She passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Chesapeake surrounded by her family and friends. Debra was born on June 6, 1959, to the late Nancy and Roosevelt Spann in Plainfield, New Jersey. It was there that she spent the first 11 years of her life enjoying her days playing and learning with her brother the late William "Billy" Spann.
Debra attended DC Public Schools and graduated from McKinley Technical High in 1974. In 1975, Debra continued pursuing her goals by attending the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington, DC. Shortly afterwards, she started her career working at the Department of Energy. She left the Federal Government and went into the private sector at the Lutheran Social Services, an adoption agency, and Children's Hospital, now the Children's National Medical Center. Debra returned to the Federal Government in 1995 at the U.S. Census Bureau. While working full-time, Debra also worked part-time at Shoppers Food WarehGuse from 1994 to 2001 and Safeway from 2002 to 2016. Although she was a hard working woman, she always made time to balance both work and family.
In 2008, Debra reconnected and married her longtime friend Mr. James Barnes. These two shared a special bond from the beginning to the end. Debra's sons were her true pride and joy. She continuously made them feel confident that no matter what they were going through, she would always be available for them. The love, bond, and dedication that she and her sons had for each other were truly unbreakable. Debra was also a loving, caring, and proud grandmother who would do anything for her grandbabies.
Debra recommitted her life to the Lord in 2011. She was a faithful member of the Church of the Harvest in White Plains, Maryland, and was known to be a woman of mighty faith. Debra conquered a lot of her battles knowing that with Jesus Christ by her side there was nothing too big or small that she could not overcome. So it should come as no surprise that when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, her faith, family, and friends were there to help guide her through.
Following the news of being in remission, Debra spent time traveling. Her very first plane trip was to Philadelphia with her godson Marlo Williams. She later traveled to Dallas, Texas, to see her favorite team (Go Cowboys) with her son Derrick Brown, followed by trips to Arizona, California, South Dakota, and Washington State.
Debra was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend and coworker to so many. Her love, laughter, joy, and uplifting spirit will be missed. She was the glue that held her family together through the storms. A lady who loved to cook, have fun, plan 0utings and cookouts, and shop at JC Penney in her spare time. She will be sorely missed!
Debra leaves to cherish her memories her husband James (Debo) Barnes; her sons-Derrick Brown, Aundre (Dutch) Davis, and Emanuel (Elmo) McClain; two daughters in-law-Tiffani Davis and LaKeisha Brown; seven grandchildren-- Derrick Brown Jr., Erin Brooks, Camron Brown, Duchess Davis, Kamai Friday, Zamir Brown, and Jordan Davis; four godchildren that were like her own children--Marlo Williams, Shannon Spriggs, Joan Buck-Cherry, DaVarne Ratliff, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends .
Debra is preceded in death• by her parents Nancy and Roosevelt Spann, her brother Billy Spann, and her nephew Jonathan Spann.
