MELROSE — Debbie Smallwood was born in Lynn, the first and oldest child of what would eventually be six children, by Malverne and Marjorie. She spent her childhood years growing up in Malden in a busy house with five brothers and sisters, sharing a room with two of her sisters. They were a close family, and lived a simple and humble life. She had very little, private space, if any, that she could call hers. Instead, she learned how to involve and share herself with everyone in her life, always with God in her heart at her core. She always had a simple, loving, giving, and sincere Christian lifestyle. She attended public school in Malden and graduated from Malden high school. She also attended and was an active member at the first Baptist Church in Malden. As a teenager, she got a job at Jordan Marsh in Boston where she met her best friend (and lifelong friend) Lorraine Bates.
After graduating high school, Debbie married Fred Bonanno and then had three children, Fred, Jim and Amie. Later, God called her to work as a foster parent, where she met and adopted her fourth child Jason Smallwood. Working as a foster parent, she often commented that she learned more from the kids than she could teach the kids.
She continued an active membership and fellowship with God at the first Baptist Church in Melrose where she later moved. Along with church, she also attended many Bible studies in different places and homes, eventually hosting her own at her home. She became a “moral compass” for many, people both of faith and secular, strong in her knowledge and convictions.
Although obedient to God, she was anything but dull. She was fun, and she knew how to have fun and show other people how to have fun. She loves staying up late and having fun and celebrating life. She love to host parties. She loves to entertain. She loved piling too many people in her station wagon to take car trips to Maine, New Hampshire, the Cape, or anywhere she could go. She taught so many people how to laugh, either because they thought she was funny, or because she didn’t fit in there and they thought she was hysterical. She thought probability and odds didn’t exist. She would say, “there are no odds.” She’d be the person that stayed up late, playing spades until three in the morning, drinking tea, or anything that people wanted to do, so she could celebrate life. But she always made sure she got up in time for church, or got the kids where they needed to go. It became clear later in life, that her happiest moments and her truest Joys came from her three grandchildren: Christian, Angel, and Joy. She spent as much time as she could with them, sharing with them the love the joy and the wisdom of God in fellowship with them together.
She was the loving mother of Frederick J. Smallwood and James M. Smallwood, both of Melrose; Amie S. Bethune and her husband, Tommy, of Melrose and Jason Smallwood of Wakefield. Cherished grandmother of Christian, Angel and Joy. Caring sister of Melanie Smallwood, Malvern Smallwood, Marjorie Smallwood and John Smallwood. Also survived by several nieces, nephews and friends.
Visitation was held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St. Melrose on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 from 4 -7 p.m. A funeral service was held at the First Baptist Church, 561 Main St. Melrose, on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 10 a.m., followed by a burial at Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody. Relatives and friends were respectfully invited to attend.
Instead of a charity the Smallwood family would like to suggest for anyone to make a kind gesture to a local homeless person on behalf of Deborah in the name of Jesus. To send a message of condolence please visit www.gatelyfh.com.
