Debra Staib

Debra Staib, 53, passed away on Sunday September 20, 2020 at St. Barnabas Hospital with close friends by her side. She surrounded herself with dear friends who were with her during her illness and during all the difficult times. 

Born Nov. 29th, 1966, Debbie graduated from Union High School and studied at Kean University receiving a B.A. in Chemistry in 2001.  

Growing up in Union, she later moved to Springfield and held many jobs at a time, working at Infineum in Linden and more recently at Sika Corporation in Lyndhurst.  She also worked for many years part-time at the Kenilworth A & P which is now the Acme. She had a special A&P family that was very important to her. Debbie was a hard worker, very often working a third part-time job. She received her real estate license in 2017, becoming a realtor for Signature Realty in Springfield. 

Debbie loved cooking and baking, and would share her tasty creations with friends and co-workers. She would find a recipe or two online and go for it. They were delightful treats for all, or as she would say “yummy”.

Debbie’s true passion was animal rescue and it embodied who Debbie was, someone who would do anything to help an animal in need.  She devoted her life to her own felines and any stray that needed help.  She was determined to make a difference in their lives and she certainly did. Whether doing TNR, rescuing kittens, or taking to the computer to network on their behalf, she was determined to accomplish the goal of saving as many as possible in one way or another.  Through social media her name became very well recognized, all in a wonderful way. When she was diagnosed with her devastating cancer in May of 2019, throughout all of her treatments, she continued to do her rescue work, saving the lives of over 70 cats and kittens.  She impacted the lives of many people as well throughout the years. She helped those who were looking for help with rescue and those who saw her courage and determination to not let cancer stop her.

Debbie has left her mark on the world. Her passing has left a huge void in the animal rescue community and in the lives of those who knew her and loved her.  Legacy is leaving your mark on the world and is represented by a simple dash. The dash is between the dates of your birth and your death. The dash is what you did, the mark you left, what you will be remembered for.  Debbie’s legacy is quite clear.  She would want every one of us to be kind to animals and to continue to help them whenever possible.

Debbie leaves behind her parents, Heidi and W. Martin Staib, a brother, Mark , her beloved felines, and many friends who loved her.

A memorial service to celebrate Debbie’s life will be held at Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home in Westfield on Saturday, October 10, 2020 from 1 to 4 p.m..

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the following link on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/donate/390383651952835/?fundraiser_source=external _url .  It is the link under the name Isabel Perez.  Dr. Perez was alerted by Debbie about a pregnant feline needing help in Union and it turned out that there was a very large colony of cats/kittens in need of medical help.  Debbie was so grateful that they were all being helped with the donations being sent in.

Please join us in celebrating Debbie.

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