Deborah Scott Grabowski

Deborah ‘Debbie’ Scott Grabowski

1/1/1952 - 4/14/2026

Debbie was born on New Year’s Day, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the eldest daughter of George H. and Sarah Elizabeth Collin Scott. She was born several months ahead of schedule, weighing a mere 2 pounds 9 ounces. A miracle baby, she survived at a time before there was specialized care for premature babies.

They lived in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and then for her school years in Rockville, Maryland. Debbie was passionate about children’s early development and received a BS in Elementary Education from Bucknell University in 1974. Bucknell was also where she met her husband George J. Grabowski, Jr., on a geology class field trip. They were married in Bucknell’s Rooke Chapel one week before graduation.

After graduating, the couple moved to Baltimore, Maryland, while George earned an MA degree from Johns Hopkins University. Debbie taught in inner-city schools, where classes had 40 students but books for only 15. In 1976, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where George worked at the Kentucky Geological Survey, and Debbie worked as assistant manager of the Medicare Insurance Program run by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

When George chose to pursue his PhD at Rice University, the couple moved to Houston, Texas, in (a very hot and humid) August of 1978. Debbie worked briefly with Prudential Insurance Company before becoming Risk Manager for Sonat Offshore (later Transocean Offshore). She traveled often to London boardrooms but also offshore rigs, negotiating and advising in global roles until she left the company in 1994 to move to Ashtead in Surrey, England.

In 1985 Debbie and George adopted their daughter, Karen Scott Grabowski, from Samoa. As the proverb goes: E tasi, ‘ae afe. Only one, but worth a thousand.

Debbie was a dedicated and loving mother who returned to education as an active volunteer in the Spring Branch ISD. While Karen was a student, Debbie counseled administrations, advocated for process improvements, and substitute-taught middle school. Debbie loved supporting the students and seeing Karen and her friends grow and thrive. With the conclusion of Karen’s schooling, Debbie and George moved to The Woodlands, Texas, to begin their next chapter together, which included attending local concerts, biking through the tree-lined paths, and traveling around the world. From Australia to Europe to North America, Debbie loved exploring with George.

In 2014, Debbie gained a son-in-law, Andrew Heger, and, soon after, three grandchildren: Ronan, Holden, and Keira. They were the lights of her life.

Debbie moved into Keepsake Gardens of Sundale Senior Living of The Woodlands in 2023. We are deeply grateful to our Sundale family for their loving care and friendship. Debbie died from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease April 14, 2026.

Debbie is also survived by her sister, Donna Thomas (Terry); sister-in-law Gwen Krivi (Robert) and her children Scott and Peter; brother-in-law John (Kaetherine) and his children Jenna, Christo, and Zakhele; and several beloved cousins and their families. In lieu of flowers, donations in Debbie’s honor may be made to the family’s 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s pledge with the Alzheimer’s Association of The Woodlands or to the George J. Grabowski, Jr. ’74 and Deborah Scott Grabowski ’74 Fund for Geology at Bucknell University.