Deborah Rawls

Deborah Rawls, 69, of Orange, passed away on October 7, 2020, peacefully in her sleep.

Visitation will be 9:30-11:00 am Monday October 12, 2020 at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, Texas with the Funeral Services immediately after at 11:00 am. Officiating will be Brother Barry Bradley of First Baptist Church of Orange and burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery in Bridge City, Texas.

Born in Orange, Texas on October 6, 1951, she was the daughter of Charles “Chile” Alborn and Mildred Marie (Ellis) Alborn. The youngest of five children, Debbie was adored by all her siblings. Debbie graduated from Little Cypress Mauriceville High School in 1970. She attended Lamar with an aptitude for Accounting, and this propensity for numbers continued throughout her career. Debbie married Greggory Rawls in 1982 in Orange, Texas. The two of them lived and traveled to many places in the United States, settling in South Carolina when Gregg received a job at the Savannah River Site. This is where they raised two children, Jesse, and Laura until 1993 when they moved back to Orange, Texas. Debbie then got a job working in the County Auditors office and within a few years became the County Auditor of Orange. This was a job she loved and performed exceedingly well. She worked in this position until retirement in 2012. This is when she started her best job yet, this is when she became Nonie. If there was something Debbie did better than being a mother, it was being a grandmother to her five grandsons.
Debbie was born with an ability to care for others, along with her children and grandchildren, she had several ‘honorary’ children she cared deeply for, namely Amos Wilfer and Sheritta Dubay, leaving a deep and meaningful impact on their lives. Debbie was an avid reader of all things and loved reading her Bible. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Orange and out of all of her meaningful relationships the most important one she had was her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Debbie was a strong Christian and a proud mother to her two children. Her greatest love was her family, and her children were proud to call her mom. Debbie left an impact on many lives and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles “Chile” and Mildred Alborn; and Greggory Rawls of Knoxville, Tennessee.

She is survived by her son, Jesse Rawls and wife Amy of Richmond, Texas; daughter, Laura Roberts and husband Michael of Orange, Texas; siblings, David Carnley and wife Nancy of Newton, Texas, Gary “Michael” Carnley and wife Frances or Orange, Texas, Mary West of Orange, Texas, and Susan McKay and husband Mark of Aiken, South Carolina; sister-in-law’s, Cathy Rawls and husband Paul of Orange, Texas and Jane Rawls and Paula also of Orange, Texas; brother-in-law, David Rawls and wife Kelli of Greenville, South Carolina; grandchildren, Gabriel Roberts, Elijah Roberts, Jacob Roberts, Hayes Rawls, and Jack Rawls; and many nieces and nephews that will be left to cherish her memory.

Serving as Pallbearers will be Jeffery Book, Maxx Smith, David Rawls, Amos Wilfer, Richard Guidry, and Caleb Torgesen.