Debra Ann McCroskey

Debra Ann McCroskey age 58 of Kingston TN; passed February 13th 2017, at her home. A funeral service will be conducted at First Baptist church Kingston, Saturday evening the 18th. It will start with time for viewing at 4, followed by the eulogy at 5, finishing with a celebration of life at 6. Debra Ann McCroskey was born in Des Moines, Iowa 1958 into the family of Dave and Ann Tingley and older sister Diane Tingley. She grew up in Merritt Island Fl, at Tingley’s Fish Camp. She attended catholic elementary school; graduating from Merritt Island High School in 1976. She graduated from The University of Florida with a Bachelor in Microbiology in 1980. Marrying Wesley McCroskey in late 1980 they returned to school at Central Florida Community College in 1981 for an additional Associate of Science in Radiation Protection Technology in 1983. She and her husband traveled all across the country working nuclear power plants as Health Physics Techs from 1983 thru 1988. Debra returned to school and earned a Master of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering (Nuclear) from Clemson University 1993. Her first child was born while at school in South Carolina in 1990. The family moved to Kingston TN after she was hired by Scientific Ecology Group (SEG) as a field Engineer, in early 1992. Later that year she gave birth in Oak Ridge, TN to her second child. Her third child was born in Knoxville in 1994. She earned the American Board of Health Physics Certification (CHP) in 1998. Debra was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2000, and was treated through to the end of the year. She was considered cancer free till fall of 2007 when she was diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer. She earned her second Master of Science degree in Nuclear engineering 2014. Debra witnessed her three kids all graduate from the United States Air Force Academy in the years 2012, 2014, and 2016. Her passion for education was only exceeded by her love for her Lord and her Family. She truly cherished her church family at First Baptist Church of Kingston. She adored and participated in the; Choir, Hand bell Choir, AWANA program at her church, and teaching children’s Sunday school. She often declared that the Lord had carried her through a little over 9yrs of chemo. She is survived by her older sister Diane Tingley, her husband of 36years Wesley McCroskey, her three children; Evan, Justin, Laina McCroskey and Justin’s wife (her second daughter) Brooke McCroskey. The Service will be conducted on Saturday the 18th of February at First Baptist Church Kingston. Time for viewing will be 4-5 p.m. in the First Baptist church sanctuary with the eulogy starting at 5 p.m. The celebration of life will immediately follow at 6 p.m. in the First Baptist Church Family Life Center. There will be a grave site ceremony on February 22nd at 10 a.m. at Cedar Bluff Baptist Church at Fair Grove, Missouri. Although Debra loved the beauty of flowers, she was not a fan of their longevity. She stated that she would prefer a memorial donation to the First Baptist Church Library where she spent many hours with her friends and compatriots, so in lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church Kingston Library, 215 N Kentucky St. Kingston TN, (865)376-6041, Online gifts at www.kingstonfbc.org.- A second alternative could the Methodist Medical Center Hospitality Houses c/o Methodist Medical Center Foundation, 990 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. https://www.mmcoakridge.com/hospitality/ Special thanks to our church family, which have continued to support our family just as we were one of their siblings. We would also like to give special thanks to her Sunday school class, her work friends, her BUNKO friends, her Doctors, nurses, and the long list of individuals that continued to be a tight nit support group for her in her time of dire need. Through her years of cancer Debra could often be heard saying “This world is not my home”; and as of February 13th she is in her true home with her heavenly Father.

Debra Ann McCroskey

April 5, 1958 - February 13, 2017