Deborah Gwen French, 63, a Montesano resident and former certified nursing assistant, died Friday, June 3, 2022, at Summit Pacific Medical Center in Elma, Washington.

Deborah was born March 3, 1959, in Oroville, California to Clarence Alexander and Marjorie (Hargrove) Larsen. She lived in Oroville until the age of 12, when she moved to Littlerock, Arkansas. When she was 18, she moved to Utah then to Tracy, California.

In Littlerock, Arkansas she met Carl Joseph French. Shortly thereafter they moved to Tracy, California where they married on Oct. 5, 1982, and had three more children. Then in 1989 the family moved to Olympia, Washington for 7 years, where Deborah attended South Puget Sound College and earned her Certified Nurse’s Aide degree before moving to Montesano, Washington.

Deborah worked as an in-home care provider helping clients learn to live on their own and in various skilled nursing facilities. She also took care of her mother when she became ill and unable to care for herself.

Deborah was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, daughter and friend. She had a pure and kind heart. To know her was to love her. She brought forth the best in people and was everyone’s number one fan in anything they did. She loved horses and being around her family. Deborah had a passion for gardening and being surrounded by flowers of all kinds. She loved listening to music, especially the Bee Gees.

Deborah is survived by her husband of 39 years, Carl J. French of Montesano; a son with whom they lived, Clarence A. (Deja) French of Montesano; three daughters; Arwen “Nickie” (Tyler) Gill of Montesano; Mary French of Aberdeen and Destiney French of Ocean Shores; 10 grandchildren: Nathan Gill, Savannah Morrisey, Thomas Morrisey, Kenneth-Dane French, Georgia Gill, Austin Binford, Jamieson Binford, Juliana French, Krista French and Michael French.

Deborah was preceded in death by her mother and father Marjorie and Clarence Larsen; siblings; Thomas Dunham, Margret Andrews, Jan Klumpkin and Virgil Gray; niece Krista Ashley.

There will be a small memorial service on June 25, at the family home.

Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Washington.