Deborra Lynn Broughton

Deborra Lynne Broughton, 61, of Springfield, died at 3:45 am Sunday, March 26, 2017 at Memorial Medical Center. She was born April 25, 1955 in West Frankfort, to Floyd and Winifred Roberts Gloyd. She married Donald Dean Broughton, II and he survives.

Also surviving are two daughters, Kristy Semanik of Springfield and Amber (Pat) Broughton-Howk of Indianapolis, IN; two sons, Eric Broughton and Donald Dean Broughton, III both of Springfield; one grandson, Billy Semanik and one cousin Jim Roberts of Marion. She also is survived by her extended Broughton family: father-in-law, Donald Broughton, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Denise (Chris) Harney, Pam (Doug) Barringer, Gary (Mary) Broughton, Phil (Vickie) Broughton, Jenny Broughton and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and mother-in-law Sharon Broughton.

Debbie graduated from Southeast High School in 1973.

Debbie lived life to its fullest. While hampered with several bouts of arthritis and the surgeries that followed, she never let that keep her from experiencing those things that made her the most happy. Debbie loved Christmas, everything about Christmas. Her house was adorned each year with a minimum of four trees, each with its own separate theme and hundreds of beautiful ornaments. If you walked into her house in December, you were amazed at the decorating she did. She was one of the first volunteers when Festival of Trees started its first event. To her, Christmas was about giving to others and not expecting anything in return. Debbie was one of several Jaycees who would take underprivileged kids shopping for their relatives so that they could experience a day without want or concern.

Debbie was all about volunteering and helping others. She was involved in many events such as the Labor Day MDA telethon, Easter Seal Telethon, Lincolnfest, Air Rendezvous, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Pleasant Plains School District Referendum Campaign, and countless other events through employment or through her many years as a Springfield Jaycee.

Debbie was involved in the Springfield Jaycee Women, earning Key Woman of the Year in 1982-1983. Her work in the MDA Telethon earned her the Community Project of the Year in 1987. When the Springfield Jaycee Women merged with the men’s group, Debbie continued her many years of service in the Springfield Jaycees. It was in the Springfield Jaycees that she met Don. They eventually became married and embark on 28 years of volunteering as a team. In the Jaycee tradition at the time, a person ends their service at the age of 36, with the tools and desire to prosper into other endeavors. Debbie was no exception to the Jaycee slogan: Service to Humanity is the Best Work of Life.

Following years in the Jaycees, Debbie focused on helping her children and her neighbors. She volunteered in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and fundraisers for kids’ sports program. When she and Don saw that the Pleasant Plains School District was struggling and could not pass a funding referendum, they put their Jaycee know-how to work and led the effort to save the district and make the schools one of the most respected in Sangamon County.

Debbie and Don were inseparable. If you asked one to help, you were going to get the other as a team. Each supported the other’s passion for volunteering, traveling, and socializing. Debbie loved to travel. Despite her physical limitations, she loved to go to Venice, Florida every year and just relax. She loved Sarasota for the dining, shopping and the sunsets. She and Don fulfilled their dream vacation by going to the Hawaiian Islands on their 25th wedding anniversary. Debbie had goals of extensive travel when she would retire from work.

Debbie loved her work in the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk’s office. She especially enjoyed being the court clerk to Judge Leslie Graves. When she moved up to the position of assistant to Circuit Clerk Paul Palazzolo, Debbie remained a mentor to new employees learning to work in the courtroom. She affectionately referred to herself as the work mom to so many young people who worked in the office. Her previous employment included Horace Mann, realtor with Charles Robbins Real Estate, Life Underwriters Association, Brother James Court, American Cancer Society and Childrens Place.

As Debbie got older, she became involved in local Republican politics. She helped on many campaigns as a volunteer coordinator. She developed many treasured friendships in the organization and especially wanted to help candidates who were running for office for the first time. Debbie worked as an election judge for many election cycles.

But most of all, Debbie loved her children and grandchild. Even though Debbie and Don’s children were from either previous marriages or together, she considered them all her children and the word “step-child” was never used in the Broughton household. She and Don never missed any event that their kids participated in no matter where or when. She was very proud that all four children earned college degrees despite life’s setbacks that any child would experience. She especially loved her grandchild, Billy who would light up her life just by walking through the door into her house.
This passion for her children led to her current and favorite hobbies: archiving photographs and making scrapbooks of travel and significant childrens’ milestones. She was brilliant in creating beautiful books of pictures and articles of trips and graduations. Debbie was an expert in cardmaking with all of the latest Cricut and Anna Griffin gadgets. This was her therapy while she recuperated from the many surgeries she had in order to battle arthritis.

Visitation: 4-7 pm, Friday, March 31, 2017 at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield.

Funeral Service: 11 am, Saturday, April 1, 2017 at Staab Funeral Home – Springfield, with Pastor Gary Winkleman officiating. Burial will follow at Old Salem Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery.