Obituary of Deborah S. Burpee

Deborah S. Burpee  

Deborah (Stetser) Burpee, aged 66, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; formerly Abington, PA; passed away peacefully with family by her side on Sunday, March 19, 2023, after a short battle with cancer.

Deb was born September 20, 1956, in Tampa, FL. She was the daughter of the late Virginia (Masland) Stetser, author, and the late Dana Stetser, architect. Deb was married for 35 years to the late W. Atlee Burpee IV, a seedsman and great grandson of the founder of the vegetable and flower seed company.

Deb and Atlee met as kindergarteners in 1962 at Abington Friends School and were lifelong best friends. Debby graduated from Davis and Elkins College (1979) in Education, specializing in physical education and health for elementary and secondary students. She received her Master’s degree (2006) in Education from Walden University (MN) with a focus on curriculum development and assessment.

Deb competed in field hockey growing up and was awarded a field hockey scholarship for all four years of college. She was one of the best hockey players in the country and was named to the women’s national U.S. Field Hockey team in 1977 and 1978. 

Above all, Deb was an athlete with a love for education. Athletic training honed her personality and skills. She was practical, enthusiastic, persistent and positive. Her passion for sports became a valuable teaching tool – to have fun while developing self-esteem, confidence, teamwork and social skills. Her commitment was constant: to her family, her children and decades of students, whom she referred to as her “scholars.” It would be too easy to allow her humility to obscure her accomplishments.

Debby was fluent in Swahili and American Sign language. She served as Director of the Machakos Primary School in Kenya for over three years and developed the entire curriculum. At the Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, she taught P.E. to elementary and secondary students, coached track and field, swimming and cheerleading. In 1988 Debby founded and then directed Conshohocken’s Pitter Patter Day Care Center for 11 years. Recently she retired from 20 years at the Joseph Pennell Elementary School in Philadelphia as a P.E. and Health teacher. While there she wrote grant proposals to develop new curriculum, most notably for a “structured recess program” designed to combat bullying, encourage cooperative play and teach team building. This program was used by other Philadelphia schools as well. A highlight of her time at Pennell was her annual all-star basketball game which included 5^th graders, 6th graders and other former students vs. Pennell’s staff. Debby loved tennis, baking and spending summers in Ocean City, NJ with her family and grandchildren.  

Survivors include son Lee Burpee of Conshohocken; daughter Lisa (& Scott) Rafter of Eagleville; daughter Michelle Burpee (& Vince Orsini) of King of Prussia; sister Carol Stetser of Sedona, AZ; brother Michael Stetser of West Palm Beach, FL; brother Christopher Stetser, of Pittsburgh, PA; and her twin sister Lisa Hockensmith of Shrewsbury, PA, who cared for Deb the last few months. Deb is also survived by grandchildren Shane Rafter, Shannon Rafter, Luke Rafter, Alexandria Orsini and Ava Orsini. 

A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 27, 2023, at 10:30 AM at the Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA. 

Relatives and friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Monday, March 27 from 9:00 to 10:30 AM prior to the memorial service. 

Memorial contributions may be made in Debby’s name to: Lasalle Summer STEM Enrichment Camp 2023 OR by check to La Salle University. Tel: (215)-951-1094, by mail La Salle University, Attn:  LaSalle Summer Camp, Hayman Hall 110, 1900 West Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19141. 

Arrangements by Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA, (610) 828-0330.
www.msrfh.com.