Deborah H. (Hay) Kasparian, 68, of Warwick, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully on September 5, 2024, with her loving family by her side.
Born in Providence on January 15, 1956, she was the daughter of the late Wendell and Nancy (Messinger) Hay. She was the beloved wife of Edward P. Kasparian, with whom she shared a remarkable 43 years of marriage, a union that began when they were just 14 years old.
She is survived by her husband Edward; her brother Bradford and his wife, Susan; and her daughters—Jenna Robenhymer, her husband Matt, and their children Anna, Lacey, and Bennett; Melanie Kasparian, her husband Justin Courcy, and their children Cameron and Jack, Lauren Kasparian; and Alexis Kasparian.
Raised on a farm in western Massachusetts, she and her brother, Brad, settled in Rhode Island at an early age. It was in high school where she met her future husband, Edward. Despite being separated by redistricting, the two stayed close, forging the bond that lasted the rest of her days. Deborah pursued her passion for caregiving by earning a nursing degree from the University of Rhode Island and dedicated two decades working as a nurse at Kent County Hospital. She earned her master’s degree and spent the remainder of her career as a school nurse. She would come to these children as part of her ever-expanding family.
To all who knew her, Deborah was a natural source of gravitation, a woman whose home was always open and in which food was always in abundance. She fostered enduring bonds between her brother and sister-in-law’s families and her 7 nieces and nephews have remained as dear to her as her own children. Woven within the tapestry of loved ones are a bevy of cherished cousins, neighbors who have become family, and members of her church and community.
Deborah's hobbies included spending time in New Hampshire with her family, skiing, dancing, and gardening. Most of all, Debbie remained active in her church community, serving as a faithful member of Woodbury Union Church in Conimicut Village, for over 60 years. She steadfastly devoted herself to the church, practicing fellowship and charity within the Warwick community.
Relatives and friends are invited to her Funeral Service on Saturday September 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. at Woodbury Union Church, 58 Beach Avenue, Warwick. Visitation will be Friday, September 13, 2024, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Barrett & Cotter Funeral Home, 1328 Warwick Avenue, Warwick.
In honor of her memory and in lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Woodbury Union Food Pantry, an organization she passionately supported as its coordinator.
