Deborah Jane Cowles passed away on Feb. 12 in the skilled nursing unit of Chapel Pointe in Carlisle, Pa. She had suffered in recent years from a rare neurological disorder called coricobasal degeneration.

Debbie was born in Sayre, Pa., to Marge and Rev. H. Robert (Bob) Cowles, who the next year began two terms of service as Christian & Missionary Alliance missionaries in the Philippines. Their service was interrupted in 1955 when Debbie and her father were evacuated to the U.S. after contracting polio, a disease that left both of them with life-long disabilities. The family later returned to the Philippines, but medical treatments for Debbie forced the family to resettle in the U.S. in 1962.

Debbie graduated from Nyack College in 1974 and was an Alliance missionary in the Philippines from 1979 to 1988. She later worked as a hospital administrator in Kentucky, and after retiring relocated to Pennsylvania. Debbie was an active volunteer at Chapel Pointe and served on its board of directors from 2016 to 2022.

Debbie is proceeded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law, John Swanson. She is survived by her sisters, Rebecca Cowles Swanson and Esther Cowles Schaeffer (Andrew); her brother Daniel Cowles; nephews and nieces Kristin Dutcher, Eric Swanson, Sarah Weisenburn (Robert), Paul Schaeffer (Brenna), David Schaeffer (Jillian), Stephen Schaeffer (Débora), Mark Schaeffer (Rachel) and Rebekah Schaeffer; as well as eight great nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will take place at Chapel Pointe at Carlisle on Monday, February 17, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Steve Motter officiating. The burial will take place at Letort Cemetery, Carlisle, on Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. www.EwingBrothers.com