Deborah Lynn Larsen passed away on August 8, 2026 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon after a short battle with cancer. In the weeks leading up to her passing, she was surrounded by her husband, children, and siblings she loved so deeply.
Deb was born August 13, 1952, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to James and Mary Larsen. She was the oldest of seven children, Doug, Dean, Dirk, Dave, Dan and Diana. When Deb was 15, her father had an aneurysm that left him disabled. Deb often spoke of two distinct memories from that time: 1) The level of community support that helped keep the Larsen family afloat; and 2) The people in the community who were uncomfortable engaging with her father because of how he was after the aneurysm. Seeing the impact of both on her family firsthand greatly impacted Deb. As a result, she never missed an opportunity to help people who were in need and would always gravitate to those most in need of a friend.
Deb left home to attend Morehead State College, graduating in 1976. She juggled work and school with frequent trips home to support her siblings and parents.
In 1977,guided by her adventurous spirit, she drove to Oregon on a whim because she heard Governor McCall say, “come to visit but, don’t stay.” Her adventure took her to Coos Bay, where she began her 35-year career at Marshfield High School, teaching Speech and Debate. During her career, Deb taught several subjects in middle school, high school and at CE2, an alternative school in Coos Bay, where, in addition to her teaching responsibilities, she helped kids learn to drive (against school rules), find stable housing (sometimes with Mike and Deb), and even provided childcare for a few children of students. Deb loved teaching but was especially motivated by the opportunity to provide tangible support and guidance both in and beyond the classroom.
In 1978 she met her husband, Mike Lehman. She did not immediately fall madly in love with him, in fact, she would say she found him quite irritating. In July of 1979, she quit her job, said goodbye to Mike and headed to San Francisco for a new adventure. A couple weeks later, she returned to Coos Bay and started her 47-year relationship with Mike on August 10, 1979. Mike and Deb were married on August 22, 1981.
In March of 1982, after a trip to visit her family, Deb announced that she did not want to have children because she had already helped raise her younger siblings. Six months later, in October of 1982, Matthew Lehman was born. Bradley Lehman was born in June of 1985 as the planned child who arrived during summer break.
In 2006, with calmness replacing the chaos of Matt and Brad (now in college), Deb decided that she wanted to become a foster parent. Mike and Deb started with respite (temporary) care in 2007. When a young woman named Vanessa arrived, a new journey had begun. A year later, Christa and Kelsey joined the family. Despite several people saying Deb and Mike didn’t have the stamina for more kids, Jamie and Jen completed the family in 2009. Deb was ecstatic to finally have daughters as the family grew from four to nine in two short years. The family continued to grow and now stands at 24 (including partners and grandchildren). Deb was most proud of the way the children, partners, and grandchildren blended into a large (and chaotic) family unit. She would be happy to see the family has grown even closer as we mourn her passing.
In retirement, Deb continued to find ways to remain involved in the community. She took a job as an advocate with DHS for children and parents in the foster care system, which she found extremely fulfilling and challenging. In that role, she was a loving and caring mentor for parents and kids as well as a fierce advocate for people navigating the system.
Deb lived life to the fullest until her death, babysitting grandchildren within weeks of going into the hospital in early July. She leaves her husband Michael Lehman, her children Matthew Lehman (Carolyn Cross), Bradley Lehman (Megan Lehman), Vanessa Wilson (Dylan Wilson), Jennifer Scott, Christa Arndt (Dave Arndt), Kelsey Pittullo (Dakota Pittullo) and Jamie Foster. She also leaves the loves of her life, her 11 grandchildren, Khloe, Leah, Ari, Noah, Adrian, Sophia, Amelia, Everleigh, Colter, Graham, and Eden. Deb and Mike spent a large portion of their retirement travelling between Portland, Roseburg, Coos Bay and Kansas City to spend time with grandkids. Grandma Deb’s infectious energy, positivity and boundless love was evident when you got to see each grandchild run to greet her when she came to visit. That energy and love live on through her children and grandchildren. We will always be grateful that someone so special was ours to call a wife, mother, and grandmother.
A Celebration of Life that is open to the community will be held on October 24 (2-5pm) at 737 N. Front Street, Coos Bay, Oregon.
In lieu of flowers, the family would request the donations be given to the Deb Larsen Memorial Scholarship Fund. Donations can be made to the Marshfield Community & Memorial Scholarship Fund by check (Please note Deborah Larsen on the memo line).
Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com