Deborah "Debby" Gale Griesmyer

Deborah "Debby" Devoll (Gale) Griesmyer, 78, of Zanesville, died early Tuesday morning, October 13, 2026, at home surrounded by her loving family. She was born February 2, 1948, in Columbus, Ohio, the youngest of four children of the late Kenneth M. and Jane A. (Linn) Gale, and grew up in Zanesville.

Debby met her husband, Don, while attending Wells College in Aurora, New York. They married on June 8, 1968, and she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that same year. In 1970 she earned her bachelor's degree in History and Philosophy of Religion, and she and Don then moved to Provo, Utah, where both attended Brigham Young University and Debby worked on a master's degree in Ancient Scripture. Don's work then took the family to Columbus; Zanesville; Hampton, New Hampshire; Wabash, Indiana; and Tifton, Georgia. After Don retired, they lived on a farm in McConnelsville for 25 years before moving back to Zanesville.

A teacher by vocation, Debby ran a bed and breakfast, taught English as a second language, tutored homeschool students, worked as a secretary for the University of Georgia, taught adult basic literacy, and worked as a career specialist for Job and Family Services. She homeschooled her own children and made many friends from around the world teaching English as a second language. Wherever she lived, she planted a garden to feed her family good food, and for the joy of watching things grow. She was a card shark when she played cards with the kids, and she never forgot a grandchild's birthday. She mended pants and sewed on buttons, and every year she made Christmas ornaments by hand.

Debby had a strong testimony of God and tried to live it by example, and she taught all of her children to have a testimony. She held her hand out to those who needed help and didn't give up on the broken people who needed her. She held many callings in her church, including serving as a full-time missionary with her husband in Mississippi. Her favorite calling in the Church was teaching early-morning Seminary, first to her children and later to her grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband of fifty-eight years, Donald W. Griesmyer Jr.; her children, Katrina M. (Matthew) Binkewicz, Mary E. Griesmyer, Donald W. "Will" Griesmyer III, Gary A. (Rebekah) Griesmyer, David O. Griesmyer, Sarah G. (Tawhiao Valyn) Coromandel, and Kenneth A. (Adrianne) Griesmyer; grandchildren Tony, Greenly, Hannah, Donald W. IV, Audrey, Elizabeth, Joshua, Myriam, Rebekah, Zechariah, Gabriel, Ammon, Elijah, Emma Lee, Samuel, Corbin, Zoë, Sophia, Charlotte, Ava, June, Asher, Pasqualina, Joy, Vincenza, Kale, Tukotahi, Ethan, Abigail, Caleb, and Benjamin; great-grandchildren Sophia, Armaan, and Narelle; and her siblings, Kenneth Allen (Krysten) Gale, Linn G. (Keith) McGlade, and Dana G. Williams.

Friends and family may call from 9:00 AM until the service at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 23, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3300 Kearns Drive, Zanesville, with Bishop Jacob Hirtle officiating. She will be laid to rest at Zanesville Memorial Park Cemetery. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Bolin-Dierkes Funeral Home, 1271 Blue Avenue, Zanesville. 

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