Deborah Gail Heise

Deborah “Debbie” Gail Heise passed away on May 16, 2026, surrounded by family and close friends, after a five-year battle with cancer.

Debbie loved Christmas and all things sports, especially cheering on the Jacksonville Jaguars, the New Orleans Saints, and the Georgia Bulldogs. Whether she was at the sidelines, in front of the television, wrapping Christmas gifts in her den amid the joyful chaos of family, or cozied up in her recliner watching the Hallmark Channel, she found happiness in the moments that brought everyone together.

Born in Hahira, Georgia, on December 6, 1951, to Joe and Alice Brantley, Debbie spent her youth in Valdosta, Georgia, surrounded by her large family, especially her cousins. Those years were filled with traditions, holidays, and countless memories that will live on through the many people who loved her.

She leaves behind her husband of 51 years, Robert Heise, and her four children: Brian Lightsey and his wife, Christina; Christi Lewis and her husband, Kenneth; Dannette Lightsey; and Jennifer Heise-Cruz and her husband, Andre.

Debbie was the proud grandmother of eight grandchildren: Carmen Blaeser, and her husband Jay, Jordan Moore (Angel), Trina Dasher, Dayton Thompson, Brandi Dasher, Emily Lightsey, Sydney Carlyle and her husband, Parker, and Alyssa Cruz. She was also the great-grandmother of four: Alysha Moore, Jeremiah Moore, Charisma Walker, and Kavaisen Thompson.

Debbie also leaves behind many beloved cousins, in-laws, extended family members, and lifelong friends who remained an important part of her life throughout the years.

Debbie was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Alice Brantley; her first husband, Danny Lee Lightsey; and her grandson, Nelson (“Dinky”) Milton.

Funeral services for Debbie will be held on June 13, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Naugle Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1203 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32207.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Debbie’s honor to Community Hospice & Palliative Care, whose nurses and caregivers, both in her home and at the Bailey Family Center for Caring in St. Augustine, lovingly cared for Debbie and her family through her final days with compassion, dignity, and kindness that will never be forgotten.

Her family asks that those who knew her remember her the way she would have wanted — with stories, laughter, football on the television, and loved ones gathered close together at Christmas time.