Deborah Ann Cole, 60, of Independence, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 13, 2011. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E. 39th Street, Independence, Mo. Interment at Blue Springs Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. prior to the service. The family suggests contributions to Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City, MO 64112. Debbie was born in Sedalia, Mo., on July 21, 1950, to Raymond A. and June (Decker) Harmon. As a child she often helped her grandfather, the late Otto B. Decker, ring the cash register as he sold shoes at Brown Shoe Co. in Sedalia. She moved with her family to Salina, Kan., and Redondo Beach, Calif., before settling in Independence in 1964. Debbie was a 1968 graduate of Truman High School, where she served as dance chairman and reigned as Basketball Homecoming Queen. After graduating with an education degree from Northwest Missouri State College, she taught Vocational Home Economics for four years at Palmer Junior High School in Independence. In 1976, Debbie began her retailing career as a sales representative for Erno Laszlo skin care products at Swanson's on the Plaza in Kansas City. She worked briefly as a sportswear buyer and later served as the store's cosmetics buyer. She subsequently worked as department manager for cosmetics, accessories and women's shoes at Halls Crown Center and served 10 years as manager of the Tabletop department at Halls Plaza. Debbie was a sustaining member and Past President (1987-88) of the Junior Service League of Independence and had been a volunteer for Special Neighbors Inc., a local nonprofit which provides quality residential services for developmentally disabled individuals. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Independence and since 1997 had regularly attended services at Unity Temple on the Plaza. She was an avid baseball fan who attended games at numerous major and minor league venues, including old County Stadium in Milwaukee, the Oakland Coliseum, and old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. She regularly attended annual meetings of the Society for American Baseball Research and was one of the first fans onstage in 1990 to congratulate Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer at his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Music, particularly rock and roll of the 60s and 70s, was never far from her heart. She attended with her brother, Brent the Beatles concert at old Municipal Stadium in September of 1964 and became a lifelong fan of each of the Beatles and their music. The final show that she attended was Paul McCartney's concert last summer at the Sprint Center. Friends will recall Debbie's love of wearing the color red, polka dots in black and white and sunglasses framed in white and turquoise. Beyond her personal style, her family will miss her enthusiasm for life and the love she shared at every family gathering. She leaves her husband of 38 years, Robert Cole; her parents, June and Raymond Harmon; her brother, Brent and his wife Nancy Lewis Harmon; her brother, Kevin and his wife, Cindy Case Harmon; her brother, Keith and his wife Carla; and nephews, Kalab Harmon, Harrison Graham Harmon, William Casey Harmon, and Ian Benton Harmon. Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel, (816) 373-3600. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.speakschapel.com. S
Published in Kansas City Star on March 15, 2011