Debra Ann Echtinaw

Debra Ann Echtinaw, of Hastings, Michigan, passed away on November 8, 2026, in Hastings. She was born on September 25, 1955, in Hastings.

Debra graduated from Hastings High School in 1973 and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University. She dedicated her career to public service, serving as Inspector General for the State of Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Debra enjoyed leather crafting, needlepoint, knitting, and traveling, but some of her happiest times were spent with family and friends. She loved hosting parties and bonfires at her home and gathering everyone together for family game nights. Her home was a place where memories were made and people came together.

The family farm held a particularly special place in Debra’s heart. Purchased by her parents in 1945, the farm had remained in the family for generations and was an important part of her family’s history and heritage.

Debra was adopted at 10 months old and, later in life, in her late 50s, had the opportunity to meet her biological sisters, Gail Wagner and Elizabeth Jane Matthies.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marshall Dean Furrow and Mildred Mae Wright; and her brothers, Daniel Lee Furrow and Ronald Dean Furrow.

Debra is survived by her daughter, Julie Anne Faunce; grandchildren, Grace Laurel Faunce and Ryan Joseph Faunce; sisters, Gail Wagner and Elizabeth Jane Matthies; and dear friends, Dawn Baldwin, Celeste Bennett, and Beatrice Minard.

Visitation will be held Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. at Girrbach Funeral Home, 328 S. Broadway Street, Hastings, Michigan 49058. A luncheon will follow the service at the funeral home, with interment afterward at Fuller Cemetery in Hastings.

In honor of Debra and her love of purple, the family invites everyone attending the service to wear something purple as a special way to celebrate her life and remember her.

Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society P.O. Box 6704 Hagerstown, MD 21741. To leave online condolences visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net.