Deborah "Deb" Gay Heinricher

Deborah G. Heinricher was born in Frankfurt, Germany on January 9, 1956 to Larieta Heinricher and Jack Heinricher, who was serving in the U.S. Army in Germany. Her family ultimately settled in Olympia, Washington after they spent time in the Bay Area and Seattle.

Through her childhood, Deb was a charming, kind, funny and delightful daughter and sister who excelled in school and sports, and was a cheerleader throughout junior and senior high school. She was universally loved and admired. Deb was a great help within the family with two younger sisters to help look after. She kept a meticulous bedroom her siblings were tempted to meddle with and happened to be excellent at drawing. She was in so many ways the bright star of her family.

Upon graduation in 1974, Deb attended college at Western Washington University before transferring to The Evergreen State College where she met the father of her two children, Bruce Drager. They moved to Dillon, Colorado for a short time then settled in Boulder where Deb completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Kinesiology at the University of Colorado.

In 1983 Deb and her partner Bruce welcomed their first child Lia in Boulder. Their second child Jane was born in El Segundo, California in 1988. They ultimately made their home back in Seattle, Washington, close to Deb’s family. Lia and Jane were the greatest source of happiness for Deb. She absolutely loved being a mother, more than anything and took deep interest in her daughters, always seeking to understand, help and connect with them into adulthood.

Deb’s interest in nursing began in high school when she worked as an aid at an Olympia nursing home. After her bachelor’s degree, she attended nursing school and nursing became her lifelong career. As an RN she was gifted, compassionate and efficient and always went the extra mile to bring her patients comfort. She was inquisitive, showed great initiative and leadership, and earned enormous appreciation from her fellow nurses, doctors and administrators. At one point she took the time to study and earn her Master's degree as a nurse practitioner. She found herself in increasing roles of authority and reached the prime of her long career as a respected Director of Nursing at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle.

Throughout her life Deb was an avid runner, hiker and also enjoyed soccer and exercise in general. She entered many races and did very well. She was always on the move and loved to dance. In the late 90's she met her long-term partner Paul Lukes who introduced Deb to high-country trekking and climbing. Deb fell in love with the mountains and some of her most fulfilling moments were on the high snowfields of the North Cascades on multi-day treks with Paul and their friends.

Deb was a very spiritual person who spent her life thinking deeply about life and the human condition. She sought meaning and understanding and would happily spend hours on the phone discussing a broad range of topics with a friend, sister or daughter. And she always saw the good in people and sometimes even made them good in her heart and imagination.

Let it be said: Deb was simply beautiful. She had luminous hazel eyes and always-perfect hair. She was stylish and put together. She took thoughtful care of herself. She had great poise and spoke with careful precision and diction. But most of all, she was an absolute joy to be around. Her sense of humor and calming, welcoming presence lit up any room she entered and immediately made people feel at ease, seen, and comfortable.

Deb Heinricher joined with her Creator, her daughter Jane and beloved dogs Boone and Cosmo after a protracted illness on September 17, 2025.

Deb is lovingly remembered by her daughter Lia Taylor of Woodinville, Washington, father, Jack Heinricher of Surprise, Arizona, her brother Greg Heinricher of North Carolina, and her sisters Jackie Heinricher of Tennakee Springs, Alaska and Jami Heinricher of Olympia, Washington.

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