Debbie Reaves

Our mom, Deborah (Debbie) Luce Reaves, died in hospice in Colorado on March 26, 2026, from congestive heart failure and the accumulated impact of decades of living with multiple sclerosis. She was 78.

 

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, on August 20, 1947, Mom was the eldest child of Tom and Virginia Luce, and grew up in Pennsylvania and Delaware with her four siblings (Judy Ferrara, Peter Luce, Tom Luce, Jr., and Prill Trumbull). She married Ray Reaves in 1968, and is survived by her children, Jessica (Jordan Karol) and Peter (Pamela Reaves), and two grandsons, to whom she was known as “Mimi.”

 

Mom graduated from Wilmington (Delaware) High School and Goucher College, and earned a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh before launching a decades-long career as a tough but beloved English teacher at the Winchester-Thurston School in Pittsburgh. She also served as a decorated CASA/guardian ad litem children’s advocate for many years, and tutored students from middle school through college.

 

A consummate learner and educator, Mom was a feminist and a humanist. She was a stickler for proper grammar but abhorred snobbery. Our dining room was often filled with music; her Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and James Taylor interspersed with Dad’s classical albums. She loved the beach, where she would sit and read under an umbrella, draped in gauzy white sun protective clothing. She and Dad were suckers for rescue dogs, and welcomed a rotating cast of characters into their home. She loved good food and often reported back on new entries to Pittsburgh’s vibrant ethnic restaurant scene. She was a voracious reader and enthusiastic traveler who continued to visit far-flung places and friends for as long as she was physically able. When Dad was diagnosed with dementia, Mom insisted on taking care of him — demonstrating a level of love and vigilance that continued even after Dad was admitted to memory care in Colorado.

 

Her friend group was wide and multi-generational; former students stayed in touch for decades after graduation, often joining her lifelong friends and neighbors in seeking Mom’s wise, sharply observed counsel, which was frequently delivered with a dose of her signature razor wit.

 

Mom was a profoundly insightful, wonderfully present and generous friend, neighbor, mentor, wife, sister, grandmother and mom. She fought to live her fullest life for as long as she possibly could. We will miss her so much.

 

We will organize a virtual (online) celebration of Mom’s life in the coming weeks. If you would like to attend, please email jess_reaves "at" yahoo.com for the invite link.

 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to CASA’s national office (https://nationalcasagal.org), Pikes Peak Hospice, your local public library or the progressive political candidate or cause of your choice.