OBITUARIES

1954 - 2023

Graciela Deborah Zizumbo Michaelson of Ogden, Utah passed away on December 10, 2023, at the age of 69 at Ogden Regional Medical Center. Affectionately known as Debbie, she was born on December 4, 1954, in Elko, Nevada, the daughter of Francis Zizumbo and John Zizumbo.

Debbie was raised in Ogden, Utah and was a student at Ben Lomond High School where she met the love of her life Brent Michaelson, whom she married August 5,1977. She attended Weber State College and received her degree in nursing as a Registered Nurse in 1978. Nursing was Debbie’s life work and passion. Excelling in many different avenues of nursing from trauma to hospice, Debbie had the heart of a Saint and lived a life of compassion caring for people. As a fresh out of school nurse she went straight to working the emergency room where she excelled in the high stress environment of trauma care. Absorbed the tutelage of the ER doctors she did, honing her craft, corralling her emotions in intense situations so she could best perform her duty of helping the patient. The motto of St. Benedict’s Hospital in Ogden is “caring for the sick as if they were Christ in person.” Debbie’s faith in Jesus Christ, instilled in her by her parents, helped Debbie anchor that phrase right into her being. As anyone who knows Debbie will attest - this woman was a Saint. In the peak of Debbie’s career, she was a hospice care worker. Some people are midwives and as such are life workers. Debbie embraced the calling life prepared her for, at the other end of life’s spectrum, as a death worker helping patients to pass on to their Creator with dignity, love, and compassion. This calling is often not recognized as such, and she was a master.

In the immediate days following the passing of Debbie - the stories from unique individuals came flooding in from loved ones, with all of them being some variation of: Debbie helped me emotionally, financially, spiritually at one of the lowest points of my life and I will forever be grateful to her, this is a heavy loss; your family was so blessed to have her in your lives.

Extension of this Christlike love was not exclusive to her family or close friends. People whom Debbie had just met were often the beneficiary of her charity. This charity and love of Debbie did not just grace those in a low point of life. Debbie was always ready to help bring the joy of celebrating life to her loved ones by hosting holidays, birthdays, and individual rites of passage for her family. Joy of life was felt because Debbie helped bring some beauty, color and delicious food into their celebrations, this will not be forgotten or easily replaced. Debbie not only lived the motto “care for the sick as if they were Christ in person,” she celebrated with the joyful as if they were Christ in person. She along with her mother were keepers of the gathering and celebration of family.

Aunt Debbie was how she was known in the family. This only describes biological lineage. Debbie was a second mom and grandma to many. Jared, Kent, Dale, Lindsay, Matthew, and Justin are her spiritually adopted children, as she played a part in raising them with the love of a mother; at times housing and feeding them. The proxy motherhood Debbie embraced blessed her direct family and others like Hailee Hernandez, her Goddaughter, who affectionately referred to Debbie as Nina. Debbie’s love blessed herself with a great posterity into eternity.

Rest and peace were found in her home life with her husband Brent. Together they created a loving, peaceful, beautiful life together with the love of their pet dogs. Trips to Lake Tahoe and Afton, Wyoming were something Debbie always looked forward to, along with practicing their marksmanship, as Debbie was quite the deadeye shot.

Debbie is preceded in death by her parents Francis Zizumbo and John Zizumbo and sisters Mary Zizumbo and Theresa Zizumbo. She is survived by her husband Brent Michaelson, sister Yolanda Oyler and brother John Zizumbo.

Funeral services and mass conducted by Father Eugene Yarce will be held Thursday, December 21, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ogden at 10 am. Inurnment will follow mass at Ben Lomond Cemetery located at 526 E 2850 N North Ogden, Utah.

In lieu of flowers please donate to St. Joseph Catholic Church poor box, Utah Food Bank or your local Animal Shelter.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.myersmortuary.com

Arrangements entrusted to Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd., Ogden, UT