Deborah Voige

Deborah Voige passed away, not without a fight, late in the evening on March 11th, 2018 in Colorado, where she had gone weeks before for a ski trip. This was something she loved to do and it will forever be a mystery why her life ended this way. Faith in the Lord provided her comfort and continues to comfort her family. A Memorial Service will be held Monday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m. at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church with The Rev. Josh Vaughan officiating and Sarah Miller assisting. The Visitation will be a Reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall. Deborah was born in Houston, TX and was raised in Ft. Worth, TX. She grew up attending Sagamore Hill Baptist Church, and was very active in the youth and music programs. She moved to Waco to attend Baylor University, and remained there for the rest of her life. She earned a degree in accounting and proudly passed the CPA exam on her first attempt. She married Tom in a small service at her family home on May 11, 1971. Together Deb and Tom started an accounting practice, which remains today. A few years later they had their daughter Hayley, and a few years after that the three of them took on Harold Waite’s Pancake House as a second family business. People may wonder why Deb took a vacation during tax season. The answer is simple - Hayley asked her to come along. During her hospitalization she was concerned about her clients. Thankfully local professionals offered their time and her brave assistant Jamie has managed to keep the office under control. Two things provided Deb an escape - travel and exercise. She worked extremely hard, and she very much enjoyed her time off. She was raised to be curious and adventurous. Her grandmother, and avid traveler herself would say “see what you can see.” As a little girl she traveled through Europe, the Holy Lands and through South America. As an adult she led group trips to New York City and to Paris. The three generations, Deb’s mother Reba, Deb and Hayley traveled extensively. And after Reba’s passing, Drew Thomas became the next in line. Deb loved showing her grandson what the world has to offer. Late last year they went to the top of the Empire State building, enjoying both the elevator ride and the view. Fitness helped to keep her focused and strong. As a young couple, she and Tom competed in triathlons. They also took family bicycling tours through Canada and Vermont. Here in Waco Deb enjoyed pilates and weight training and would take long evening walks on the Waco dam with Hayley. Family was Deb’s passion. She made spending time together a priority. The family often had lunch together at the restaurant. And she and Hayley found joy in simply running errands together on the weekends. Deb also saw every moment as a teachable moment. Her father was a civil engineer and he instilled in her a love for problem solving and astronomy. This she shared with Drew Thomas. They used to look at the sky and talk about the phases of the moon and the constellations. They loved to create scavenger hunts and build Lego sets. Before bed they would read together and work crossword puzzles. Deb was a fierce competitor. She tackled every challenge head on. She encouraged everyone whom she believed in and always expected excellence. She was a ferocious advocate for the people close to her. Her pep talks would ignite courage and a will to keep on trying. Never give up. Never settle. She recently became mesmerized with “Hamilton” - "I’m not throwing away my shot” was constantly playing in her car. Her loss is big. Thankfully she and Tom and Hayley and Drew Thomas deliberately lived their lives as a family. No argument was insurmountable and no grudge lasted too long. The Voige family has always been and will continue to be very close. She is survived by her husband Thomas Voige, her daughter Hayley Voige, and her grandson Drew Thomas English. She was preceded in death by her father Robert Woodruff, her mother Reba Hinrichsen, her stepfather Carl Hinrichsen, and her brother Paul Woodruff. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to Columbus Avenue Baptist church. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.