Deborah was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the youngest of three daughters born to Edward and Peggy (Gardner) Taylor. She was educated at St. Mary of the Annunciation parish schools, where she was co-captain of her cheerleading squad. She and her family spent summers at their cottage in Hull, where she met the man she would marry.
Debbie married Chris Sullivan in 1974, and together they had four children. She loved being a Navy wife and seeing the country and the world. She raised her family in Florida, California, Guam, Texas, Maryland, Rhode Island, Spain, and Virginia before returning to Massachusetts several years ago.
She was proud of her husband, a U.S. Navy pilot, who was sometimes deployed far away. She made the best of these times, taking her children on family field trips to places like Monticello, St. Augustine, Colonial Williamsburg, Gibraltar, the Alhambra, Portugal, Saipan, South Korea, and Palau. It was important to her to make the most of the opportunity to see the world, and she imparted her taste for adventure to her children.
She was gifted with impeccable taste and considerable skill in sewing, cooking, decorating, and woodworking. She made dresses, hats, and Halloween costumes for her children and grandchildren that will be treasured always.
In her last few years, she discovered a passion for genealogy. She discovered ancestors from Ireland, England, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland in documents over one hundred years old. As she pieced together their stories, she shared what she learned with her family, reminding us of our connections to the past.
Deborah leaves to mourn her loss her husband of nearly 45 years, her four children, and six grandchildren.