Deborah Burchfield Obituary

Deborah Burchfield

September 10, 1947 -

June 2, 2025

GRAY - Deborah Burchfield, loving mother, grandmother, wife, sister, bowler, traveler, baseball fan, and devoted friend, died peacefully at her home on her farm in Gray, Tennessee, on Monday, June 2, 2025, after a months-long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 77.

Deborah (better known to her loved ones as Debbie) was born on September 10, 1947, to Logretha Stoneking and Kinsey Lee Van Dine in Weston, WV. She joined the Air Force in 1965, serving for two years. Debbie then earned her BA at Glenville State in 1976. She later became a high school teacher in Racine, Ohio.

In 1980, Debbie moved to Gray, Tennessee, where she would spend the rest of her life on a small farm caring for her cows. She shared the farm with her husband, Michael Amos Burchfield, until he "drove off in his 1949 Ford to a better place on Sunday, August 20, 2017," as she wrote it in his obituary. They were married for 37 years. They both loved classic cars, and she maintained and showed Mike's antique cars following his passing.

Debbie lived a life of service. She had a long career in Human Resources at the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she made lifelong friends. After retirement, Debbie continued to volunteer at the VA. She was also a member of the service organizations, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century. In her personal life, she welcomed her friends and family and never hesitated to extend a helping hand to whoever needed it.

Debbie's mantra was "live like someone left the gate open," and she did. Through retirement, she kept up a busy schedule of traveling the world with her family and friends, bowling, and watching baseball games, especially her favorite team, The Atlanta Braves.

In addition to her parents, Debbie was preceded in death by her husband, Michael Burchfield.

Survivors include her two sons, Joseph Michael Hoff (Ann) and Gregory Phillip Hoff (Sharon); grandchildren, Haley, Riley, Sophie, Will, Sam, Ethan, and Cole; five siblings, Cecile Torres (Rey), Alecia Edwards (David), Richard Keesecker, Anthony Keesecker (Melissa), and Mark Keesecker (Sharon); two "grandchildren by heart," as she would say, Devon and Gavin.

The funeral service for Debbie will be conducted Sunday, June 8, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel of Tetrick Funeral Services, Johnson City with Senior Minister Ben Cole, officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

The graveside committal will be held Monday, June 9, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in Mountain Home National Cemetery (Historic Site). Military honors will be provided by the Veterans Honor Guard of the Tri-Cities. Those who wish to attend are asked to meet at the funeral home by 10:30 a.m. to follow in procession.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 800-805-5856, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org.

Memories, condolences, and livestream of the service may be shared and viewed at www.tetrickfuneralservices.com.

Tetrick Funeral Services, 3001 Peoples St. Johnson City, TN 37604, is honored to serve the Burchfield family.