Deborah Lynn Smyth

Portland - Deborah "Debbie" L. (Stowe) Smyth, 70, died on November 9, 2023.  Debbie was born in Portsmouth, NH on May 10, 1953, the daughter of the late Kenneth and Phoebe (Smith) Stowe.  She grew up in South Berwick, attended local schools and graduated from Marshwood High School and then attended USM where she studied education with a focus on English. While attending classes, she met the love of her life, George Smyth. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1975. George and Debbie married on Sept 25, 1976 in South Berwick. She taught 7th and 8th grade students in Ashland, ME, Rochester, NH, and Brightwater, ME. In 1980 George and Debbie bought their house in Portland and they both left teaching to explore other options. Debbie worked many places including People's Heritage Bank, The Disney store, NBNA, Walmart, Lady Grace, until her retirement in 2019.Debbie went back to work in 2021 at Burlington.  In her free time she enjoyed Christmas music, and meeting friends any chance she got, she never met a stranger. Most of all, she enjoyed reading and traveling with her family to Hawaii, Cape Cod and Myrtle Beach. She is survived by her husband, George of Portland; her two sons, Craig of Standish, Scott of Busan, South Korea; sister, Charlotte Hamill; nieces, Catherine Hamill of Whitman, MA, Crystal Smyth of Windham. Visiting hours celebrating Debbie's life will be held on Monday, November 13, from 4-6pm, at the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. To view Debbie's memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105