PHILIPSBURG – On behalf of the people and the government of St. Maarten, I express my sincere condolences to the friends, family, and the sons and daughters of “Debby” as we all affectionately called her. Debby is a heroin who dedicated her personal and professional life to helping our community by taking care of our vulnerable children. We know her as a kindhearted, caring and passionate person, a mother and a mother figure to many children and most importantly – a role model within our community. She performed the ultimate act of compassion which was opening up her home to our children in a time of need. The Council of Ministers, the entire ministry of justice, SJIS and COG in particular, are honored to have worked closely with her and to have known her personally.
Losing Ms. Debby came as a shock to our entire community and to the Ministry of Justice in particular, from the Staff and Management of the Foundation Judicial Institutes St. Maarten, Court of Guardianship, Police and Immigration, prosecutors to the judges. We all have worked with Ms. Debby for different periods of time over the past 20+ years- yet share similar sentiments regarding our experience with her and the passion she had in caring for her children, our children.
There were two sides to Ms. Debby, she was a strong woman who did not hesitate to redirect a child if their behavior was out of line and on the other hand, we saw a woman with a soft heart who was able to find hope in some of the most challenging cases. Ms. Debby would see potential in many of the children and was sure to instill that potential and confidence in them. She provided shelter, food, clothing, structure, discipline, stability, but most importantly love and hope. SJIS and COG developed a close working relationship with Ms. Debby and shared many successes, accomplishments, laughter and moments of joy, but also at times sorrow and concerns. Nevertheless, Ms. Debby would never give up and was solution-oriented. She was a fighter, would not take no for an answer, and was successful at inspiring her staff, partners, private businesses and community organizations to follow her vision to provide a safe and nurturing environment for her/our children. Allow me to thank all of the individuals, the private sector and the many organizations that contributed to I CAN without trying to be on the front page. They do not want to be recognized and what they have done and will continue to do is worth respecting and acknowledging. Please turn to the person next to you and just say thank you. Thank you!
In typical St. Maarten tradition, Ms. Debby believed in keeping an open kitchen. She would feed any child who came to her home, whether they were living there or not, and would often instruct her staff “feed my children!”, as she wanted to assure that they were all well-fed and nurtured. She would even feed our family guardians at times and some of them can still remember enjoying her food at the I CAN kitchen and the intimate moments they shared with her in laughter, while licking their fingers.
Ms. Debby created a safe home, a warm haven and a new beginning for many children and young adults. We were most fortunate to have such a woman within our midst. In addition, honoring her life is about honoring the children for whom she lived and loved.
It has been a true privilege to work alongside Ms. Debby and we will always be grateful for her support, guidance, encouragement, directness, openness and fearless approach to solve problems and find solutions for the enhancement of a future for the children placed and entrusted in her/our care. It is with this spirit and with the commitment of Government and the Ministry of Justice that the future of I CAN Foundation will be determined. Hope in challenging situations and doing good for others is her legacy and it is with this same hope that we will find a solution as Ms. Debby would have wanted. When you do things out of love then you will always do what is right.
