Florence “Jo” Debbage passed away on August 4, 2024 at the age of 87 after a short stay in hospice.
Jo was born on November 29, 1936 in London, England. Her early childhood in World War II London was difficult. At age 10, she was accepted into a private home for girls, where she stayed until she entered nursing school at the age of 18. She worked as a nurse and as a telephone operator in London before marrying Sidney Myles Debbage on December 24, 1960. In 1963, the two moved to the United States. At a time when it was fashionable to employ British servants, they found work with the du Ponts and several other well-known families in the Wilmington and Philadelphia area. Jo also worked for a short time as a nurse at A.I. DuPont Nemours.
Sid and Jo eventually moved to South Jersey, where they raised three children and ran a reupholstery business, first in Woodstown, and then in Penns Grove. When the reupholstery business began to wane, Jo went back to school to train as a nurse again. At the age of 57, she graduated first in her class at Salem Community College, and then went to work as a licensed practical nurse at Salem Hospital for about ten years.
Jo energetically supported her children through their various activities, through the PTA, band boosters club, and other efforts. One year, she sewed a sequined banner and new uniforms for the entire band front of the Penns Grove High School marching band. Another year, she made the costumes for the middle school musical. She was a gifted gardener and prolific seamstress, quilter, cross-stitcher, knitter, and maker of ornate beaded Christmas ornaments. She was an avid reader and library patron, regularly finishing a dozen novels in a month. She especially liked murder and suspense novels – the gorier, the better.
In 2005, she moved to Maryland to help take care of her grandchildren. Nana, as she became known, was a fixture in the lives of her granddaughters, Zoë and Izzy, picking them up from school or daycare and taking care of them until parents got home. They proudly wore their Nana-made dresses and sweaters throughout childhood, and count their Nana-made quilts among their most beloved possessions. Nana traveled with the family on vacations to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and was a fixture at holiday celebrations and dinner parties at the family home.
In her later years, Jo moved in with her daughter, Sharon; son-in-law, Nick; and granddaughters. She enjoyed sitting in her favorite recliner and watching old movies, and looked forward to daily phone calls with her son, Alex. She joined the family for dinner most nights, where Zoë made her laugh and Izzy made her feel loved. She enjoyed outings to watch the grandkids at their various theatre productions, wrestling matches, cheerleading competitions, and soccer games. One season, she was the futsal team’s good luck charm; the team won every game she attended. She especially enjoyed going out for Friday Night Lights at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, and loved to watch Izzy cheering and doing flips on the sidelines of the football games. On nice days, Jo liked to be taken for a ride around the neighborhood in her wheelchair. She was a passionate fan of bacon sandwiches and fish and chips. She loved it when Alex and his wife Barbara took her out for lunch.
Beloved family who preceded her in death include her husband, Sid; her sister, Belinda Barry; her brother, Robert Holland; and her nephew, Neil Holland. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Myles Debbage and Alexander Debbage; daughter-in-law, Barbara (Davis) Debbage; daughter, Sharon Elizabeth Debbage Alexander; son-in-law, Nick Alexander; granddaughters Zoë Alexander and Izzy Alexander; beloved sisters-in-law Patricia Sams and Anne Holland and their families; and a host of extended family, friends, and neighbors in Forest Glen Park.
The family will gather privately to commemorate Jo’s passing. The family would like to thank the staff and volunteers of Casey House Hospice for their loving care and support in the last two days of Jo’s life. They are angels.
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Florence “Jo” Debbage passed away on August 4, 2024 at the age of 87 after a short stay in hospice.
Jo was born on November 29, 1936 in London, England. Her early childhood in World War II London was difficult. At age 10, she was accepted into a private home for girls, where she stayed until she entered nursing school at the a
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