Debbie Makowske's Celebration of Life
June 29th, 1961 - September 14th, 2026
We invite you to join us on September 25th for a backyard celebration of the life of Debbie Makowske—an evening filled with the people she loved, good food, music, laughter, stories, and plenty of memories.
Happy Hour will begin at 5:00 PM, with drinks, appetizers, and time to visit.
At 5:45 PM, we’ll gather for dinner and stories about Mom. If you would like to share a favorite memory, funny story, or a few words about Mom during this time, please text Jessica so she can add you to the agenda. We would love to hear from the people who knew and loved her throughout the different chapters of her life.
Afterward, we’ll continue celebrating into the evening with food, music, a bonfire, cornhole, yard games, drinks, and time together.
This will be a casual backyard celebration, so come comfortable and ready to spend the evening remembering Mom the way we think she would have wanted—with the people she loved gathered together, sharing stories, laughing, eating, and enjoying one another.
We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate a truly amazing woman and a life that gave us so much to remember.
Happy Hour will begin at 5:00 PM, with drinks, appetizers, and time to visit.
At 5:45 PM, we’ll gather for dinner and stories about Mom. If you would like to share a favorite memory, funny story, or a few words about Mom during this time, please text Jessica so she can add you to the agenda. We would love to hear from the people who knew and loved her throughout the different chapters of her life.
Afterward, we’ll continue celebrating into the evening with food, music, a bonfire, cornhole, yard games, drinks, and time together.
This will be a casual backyard celebration, so come comfortable and ready to spend the evening remembering Mom the way we think she would have wanted—with the people she loved gathered together, sharing stories, laughing, eating, and enjoying one another.
We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate a truly amazing woman and a life that gave us so much to remember.
Debbie Lea Makowske, 65, was surrounded by loved ones when she passed away peacefully at home on the evening of September 14, 2026. She loved and was loved fiercely- as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. As we write this obituary, we reserve the right to be wrong on a few dates and places because Mom was the family historian. Sorry, Mom—we love you, and we think we got it close.
Debbie was born to Floyd McClelland and Evelyn McCloud on June 29, 1961, and grew up in Walled Lake, Michigan, alongside her three sisters: Elaine, Connie, and Brenda. She attended Walled Lake Western High School, where she and her sisters dominated on the softball field.
She married Jeffery Makowske on June 4, 1983, and together they built a life centered around family, friends, and a lot of laughter. They welcomed daughters Jessica and Jacqueline, and Deb, who loved being a mother, chose to stay home during their early years, filling their childhood with books, beach trips, and home-cooked meals. She later returned to school, earning her engineering degree from Lawrence Technological University and building a long and dedicated career at General Motors before retiring in 2023. She balanced workplace success with never missing one of her girls’ sporting events.
Becoming a grandmother was one of Deb's greatest joys. Ben, born in 2016, quickly became a treasured part of her weekly routine, filled with hitting golf balls, riding bikes, trips to the beach and park, and teaching him how to think critically. When Eli joined the family through Jessica's adoption in 2024, Deb welcomed him wholeheartedly, teaching him to golf, drive a car, and what it meant to be a part of her family. She spent countless hours teaching, listening, laughing, and simply being there for both of her grandsons. She loved her boys with all her heart.
Deb was a dedicated member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wixom, where she ran projection for many years. She loved the worship band and took great pride in ensuring every lyric appeared exactly when it was supposed to—or at least making sure everyone knew when it didn't. She and Jeff joined the St. Matthew's Golf League in 1997, and she continued playing until this summer.
Most of all, Debbie opened her home and her heart to everyone. She welcomed friends and family, even offering extended stays in the spare bedroom when someone needed a place to stay. Her Thanksgiving dinners brought together family, friends, and plenty of good food. Everyone was welcome—as long as you stayed on the right side of the kitchen island while she cooked.
Deb passed away after a two-year battle with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. True to who she was, she fought with everything she had until the very end, making sure she could take one final big adventure: walking on Ruth Glacier in Denali.
Mom, it was the honor of our lives to walk this path with you. We miss you so much already.
Love, Jess and Jackie
Debbie is survived by her husband, Jeffery Makowske; her daughters, Jessica Makowske (Carlos) and Jacqueline Fields; and her beloved grandsons, Eli Makowske and Ben Fields. She is also survived by her mother, Evelyn McLeod, and her three sisters, Elaine Phillips (Bob), Connie Rau (Doug), and Brenda Klavitter (Patrick).
She leaves behind her nieces and nephews, Jeremy McClelland (Katelyn), Kristina Phillips (Corey), DJ Rau (Crystal), Ashley Lorentz (Ryan), Megan Klavitter (Michael), Jennifer Paul, and Kimberly Trocchio (Josh); as well as the next generation she loved watching grow: Lexie, Ryland, Gabriella, Callie, Keira, Troy, Stella, Colton, Carleigh, Dawson, Myla, and Louise.
Debbie also leaves behind an extraordinary circle of friends—some lifelong, some gathered along the way, and many who became family in every way that mattered. She was incredibly fortunate to love, and to be loved by, so many.
A celebration of Deb’s life and friendships will be held at her family home at 6111 Venice Dr in Commerce Township on September 25th, 2026, starting at 5 pm. Please RSVP, as we will serve dinner and drinks in her honor.
Debbie was born to Floyd McClelland and Evelyn McCloud on June 29, 1961, and grew up in Walled Lake, Michigan, alongside her three sisters: Elaine, Connie, and Brenda. She attended Walled Lake Western High School, where she and her sisters dominated on the softball field.
She married Jeffery Makowske on June 4, 1983, and together they built a life centered around family, friends, and a lot of laughter. They welcomed daughters Jessica and Jacqueline, and Deb, who loved being a mother, chose to stay home during their early years, filling their childhood with books, beach trips, and home-cooked meals. She later returned to school, earning her engineering degree from Lawrence Technological University and building a long and dedicated career at General Motors before retiring in 2023. She balanced workplace success with never missing one of her girls’ sporting events.
Becoming a grandmother was one of Deb's greatest joys. Ben, born in 2016, quickly became a treasured part of her weekly routine, filled with hitting golf balls, riding bikes, trips to the beach and park, and teaching him how to think critically. When Eli joined the family through Jessica's adoption in 2024, Deb welcomed him wholeheartedly, teaching him to golf, drive a car, and what it meant to be a part of her family. She spent countless hours teaching, listening, laughing, and simply being there for both of her grandsons. She loved her boys with all her heart.
Deb was a dedicated member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Wixom, where she ran projection for many years. She loved the worship band and took great pride in ensuring every lyric appeared exactly when it was supposed to—or at least making sure everyone knew when it didn't. She and Jeff joined the St. Matthew's Golf League in 1997, and she continued playing until this summer.
Most of all, Debbie opened her home and her heart to everyone. She welcomed friends and family, even offering extended stays in the spare bedroom when someone needed a place to stay. Her Thanksgiving dinners brought together family, friends, and plenty of good food. Everyone was welcome—as long as you stayed on the right side of the kitchen island while she cooked.
Deb passed away after a two-year battle with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. True to who she was, she fought with everything she had until the very end, making sure she could take one final big adventure: walking on Ruth Glacier in Denali.
Mom, it was the honor of our lives to walk this path with you. We miss you so much already.
Love, Jess and Jackie
Debbie is survived by her husband, Jeffery Makowske; her daughters, Jessica Makowske (Carlos) and Jacqueline Fields; and her beloved grandsons, Eli Makowske and Ben Fields. She is also survived by her mother, Evelyn McLeod, and her three sisters, Elaine Phillips (Bob), Connie Rau (Doug), and Brenda Klavitter (Patrick).
She leaves behind her nieces and nephews, Jeremy McClelland (Katelyn), Kristina Phillips (Corey), DJ Rau (Crystal), Ashley Lorentz (Ryan), Megan Klavitter (Michael), Jennifer Paul, and Kimberly Trocchio (Josh); as well as the next generation she loved watching grow: Lexie, Ryland, Gabriella, Callie, Keira, Troy, Stella, Colton, Carleigh, Dawson, Myla, and Louise.
Debbie also leaves behind an extraordinary circle of friends—some lifelong, some gathered along the way, and many who became family in every way that mattered. She was incredibly fortunate to love, and to be loved by, so many.
A celebration of Deb’s life and friendships will be held at her family home at 6111 Venice Dr in Commerce Township on September 25th, 2026, starting at 5 pm. Please RSVP, as we will serve dinner and drinks in her honor.
Celebration of Life
September 25, 2026, 5:00 PM
The Makowske Residence6111 Venice Dr. Commerce Michigan 48346
If you would like to send flowers in Debbie’s memory, we kindly ask that they be delivered to her home the day before the Celebration of Life. The flowers will be used to decorate the backyard for her celebration, making them a beautiful part of the evening as we honor her life.