DEBRA DESPENZA

Debra Lynn Rigsby was born on April 25, 1961, in Camden, Arkansas to the late Milton Rigsby, Sr. and Ruthenia Williams Rigsby. She moved to Rockford, Illinois at an early age and attended Auburn High School. She was a member of Miles Memorial CME Church. In 1976, she and her family moved to Rosston, Arkansas where she united with Pine Grove AME Church. She graduated from Cale High School and attended Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas. Debra later moved to Dallas, Texas where she was a member of The Potter’s House of Dallas. She worked for Travelers Insurance/United Healthcare for over 30 years as a Claims Processor. She met and married Donald Despenza, and to this union one son was born, Dante Despenza.

She was preceded in death by her father, Milton Rigsby, her brothers, Milton Rigsby, Jr. and Melvin Rigsby, her paternal grandparents, Hilliard and Arneda Rigsby, as well as her maternal grandparents, Henry Lee and Icephine Williams.

Debra leaves to celebrate her life: her son, Dante Despenza; her mother, Ruthenia Rigsby; her brother, Maurice Rigsby (Rachel); nephews, Jibri Rigsby and Matthew Perkins; nieces, Grace Rigsby and Elizabeth Rigsby; great-nieces, Maliya Rigsby and Nadia Rigsby; one goddaughter, Winter Taylor; aunts, Leona Rigsby Green of Dallas, TX, Jesteen Thompson of Rockford, IL, Margaret Gordon (Charles) of Rockford, IL, Lindean Williams of Rosston, AR, and Juvonda Childs of Dallas, TX; her great-uncle, Jesse Gulley (Annie Pearl) of Rockford, IL; her fiancé, Roy Burrell of Dallas TX; her best friends, Yvonne Warner of Nashville, TN and Claudette Jefferson of Rosston, AR; and a host of very special cousins and friends