Deborah Kay Scida

Debbie passed away on Friday, January 17, with her husband of over 52 years, Frank, by her side. She is survived by her daughter, Debbie Lynn Zetty (John Fetzeck), her son, Lance, her two grandsons, Adam and Luca, and a great-grandson, Aeon. She also leaves behind three sisters: Diane Jones of New Albany, MS, Gail Marshall (Ron) of Chillicothe, Ohio, and Laurie Nowlin (Steve) of Bonita Springs, FL., and one brother, Steve McAlexander (Linda) of Columbus, Ohio.

Debbie was born on January 5, 1950, in Memphis, Tennessee, to John and Earline McAlexander. Debbie spent her youth in Memphis and on her Grandparents' farm in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Her fondest memories of her childhood were the summers spent on the farm playing with her siblings and cousins in the fields and going with her Grandfather, John McAlexander, on his mail delivery runs. Debbie formed a special bond with her Grandfather that helped instill the values of integrity, kindness, and tolerance of difference that guided her in her personal and business lives.

When Debbie was 16 years old, her family moved from Memphis to Reynoldsburg, Ohio. After High School, Debbie took a position in the Accounting Department at Western Electric. On a cold snowy night in January 1972, at a bowling alley in Columbus, Ohio, Deb met Frank. Five months later, on July 1, 1972, Deb and Frank married and began their 53-year journey together. They completed their family with their two children, Debbie Lynn and Lance.

In 1977, Deb began a Real Estate career that spanned over 47 years. Starting in Columbus, Ohio, Debbie took to the business as a natural. Her friendly demeanor, honesty, and unwavering loyalty to her clients turned every client into a friend. Debbie's success was measured in her client's happiness when completing the transaction. Her clients/friends soon realized that Debbie's motivation was helping people find a place they could call home. In 1986, when Frank took a position in Boca Raton, Deb left her Real Estate career in Columbus to join him.

Columbus's loss soon became Boca's gain. Debbie started from scratch in a new town with no developed client base from which to draw. But it didn't take her long to overcome these obstacles and reestablish herself as a premier Real Estate professional. Whether it was with her first company (Arvida, Merrill Lynch, Caldwell Banker) or her last affiliation at Realty Home Advisors, Debbie excelled. In 2013, Debbie took in a partner. Lance, her son, and they formed The Scida Group. They were a great team and, for the next dozen years, helped over 100 clients achieve their Real Estate goals.

Through all the years, regardless of the town, Debbie was Debbie. She loved people and could party with the best. Her St. Patrick's Day parties were legendary. For years, she held them at home, a band and all. The last one she had at the house was about 100-strong, not counting the Boca police who showed up. The running joke became that it wasn't an official party at The Scida’ until police arrived.

Debbie loved to dance, laugh, and enjoy her friends. Whether she was in Columbus, Boca Raton, the Bahamas, New Orleans, New York, Myrtle Beach, or Mexico, as long as she was surrounded by friends, she was going to be the happiest person there. Her love of people shone through in both her personal and business life.

Debbie loved sports both as a competitor and a fan. She played softball, bowled, and golfed. Her competitive spirit was most evident on the golf course, where she often found herself in foursomes with three male golfers. Deb would never back down from the challenge. She loved watching Lance, and his friends, play sports through high school. She was especially proud of the fact that so many of the boys considered her house as their second home. After Lance’s graduation from high school, visiting Delaware to watch Lance play football for the University of Delaware became her favorite getaway. Lately from September through December, every Saturday and Sunday, you would find her in a T-shirt representing either the Buckeyes or the Steelers.

In January 2020, Debbie was blessed with the greatest opportunity of her life. She was given the chance to be the caregiver for her new grandson during the day while his parents were at work. Luca quickly captured her heart and soul. She adored the little guy, and he gave his “Mimi” back an equal amount of love.

Debbie, from your loving husband, children, grandchildren, family, and friends, we want to thank you for sharing pieces of your life with us. We may each carry a different ‘special memory’ of you. But even collectively, it will still not begin to describe the life you led or the lives you touched. You will be missed.

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