Debra Sue Garlock

       After four years of waging an all-out war on cancer, Deb Garlock, age 59 of Ovid MI, has been locked and loaded for her final destination and arrived in her Heavenly Home on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
     Funeral Services will be held at Duplain Church of Christ, 5565 E. Colony Rd., St. Johns, MI, at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 23, 2024, with Mr. Andy Goodrich officiating. Burial will take place at a later date at Maple Grove Cemetery, Ovid, MI. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 22, 2024 from 2-7 P.M. with the family present from 2-4 & 5-7 P.M. at Smith Family Funeral Homes - Houghton Chapel, Ovid, MI.
     Deb was born on June 19, 1965, the daughter of Gary Lee and Carol Ann (Robinson) Garlock. She graduated from Ovid-Elsie High School in 1984, and spent the majority of her career as a Telephone Service Representative for Jackson National Life Insurance Company. While JNL provided a paycheck and a lot of friends, her most important values by far were her family and her faith.
     Deb was a member of Duplain Church of Christ where she was baptized when she was young, and was welcomed home as an adult. She served on the worship team, choir, and often helped out with VBS and funeral dinners. Deb was well known for her ability to blush when people were teasing her, and her priority of trying to inspire others online while she was confined at home with cancer. As she grew in her faith, especially in meeting with her mentor, she grew in the light that she spread to others.
     To know Deb was to know how much she loved her family, particularly being an aunt. Anyone who ever emailed her literally emailed “Antidebi”. She spent every vacation visiting her nieces and nephew, every extra dollar filling her carry-on full of gifts, and every extra minute thinking about how to make memories special. Even when she was fighting cancer, Christmas in July included indoor and outdoor decorations, a full balloon arch, extra tables inside and out, and special food provided by friends.
     For 17 years, Deb was Team Captain for Relay for Life of Clinton County. She started the team initially to honor her mom conquering cancer and raised thousands of dollars every year with the support of friends and coworkers wrapping presents on Christmas Eve for donations, and her Scrapbooking Parties. After years of cheering on both her parents’ Survivors Laps, she completed her own in 2023, cheered on by longtime friends.
     Deb is survived by her parents Gary and Carol Garlock of Ovid, her brother Jim (Ginny) Garlock of CT, her sister Mandi (Steve) Wolfgram of WI, and beloved nieces and nephew: Jessica, Lilianne, Luke, and Katrina.
     Memorials may be made to Duplain Church of Christ or Relay for Life of Clinton County. Online condolences for the family may be made www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes - Houghton Chapel, Ovid, Michigan.