There is a certain kind of person who shows up—not for recognition, not out of obligation, but simply because showing up is who they are. Debra “Debbie” Elaine Blackshear was that person. Born in Houston on June 15, 1953, Debbie spent the next seven decades pouring herself into her family, her faith, and the community she loved with a fierce and unshakeable devotion. She passed away peacefully at home on February 7, 2026, surrounded by the people she held most dear. She was 72.
Debbie and her husband, Paul, became members of the Cypress community in 1978, drawn there specifically for the Cy-Fair ISD schools. It was a choice that set the tone for everything that followed. Both of their sons, Jason and Jeremy (known as J.P.) went through Cy-Fair schools, as did both daughters-in-law and all six grandchildren. For Debbie, the community wasn’t just a place to live. It was a commitment.
“When I think of the title ‘community leader,’ I think of Debbie,” says Leslie Martone, a longtime colleague and close friend who served alongside her at the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce. “She was passionate about education, about kids, about making sure every child had the same opportunities regardless of their background.”
That passion was both personal and professional. In 1984, Debbie began her career at Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union, working her way up from receptionist and teller to loan officer and eventually president, a role she held for 18 years beginning in 1994. The credit union’s guiding philosophy of 'people helping people' wasn’t just a mission statement for Debbie, it was a way of life. She never lost sight of the person behind the member number.
Her commitment to public education ran deep. After years of service on numerous boards and committees (including the Cy-Fair Education Foundation, the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce, Cy-Hope, and the Cy-Fair American Heart Association) Debbie was elected to the Cy-Fair ISD Board of Trustees in 2015, where she served two terms through 2023. She was, by many accounts, the loudest and most steadfast voice on the board for the district’s FFA program.
“I’ve not seen anybody advocate that loudly for FFA,” Martone says. “She made sure those kids remained relevant in every conversation and that they were getting the credits they deserved, the recognition they needed. She showed up for them every single time.”
The connection to FFA was deeply personal. Both of Debbie’s sons participated in the program, and the Blackshear name became well-known not just at the CFISD Livestock Show, but at the Houston Livestock Show as well. Debbie and Paul even built barns on their property so that FFA students could house their project animals. She was a buyer and volunteer at the CFISD Livestock Show beginning in 1990, and was dedicated to the John Fox Chamber Herd, a program that raises funds to purchase students’ animals, which are then donated to local food pantries. She remained involved until her very last days; the day of the 2026 livestock auction was among her final.
In her honor, the Debbie Blackshear FFA Member of the Year Award was established at the 2026 CFISD Livestock Show and Sale, recognizing an outstanding FFA student who demonstrates exceptional leadership, dedication, and character. It is exactly the kind of legacy she would have wanted.
But those who knew Debbie well will tell you that her impact extended far beyond any board she sat on or an award established in her name. She was the kind of person who taught you what it meant to be an advocate; by example. Martone recalls traveling with Debbie to Washington, D.C. and the state capitol to lobby on behalf of credit unions. “She really taught me what it looked like to fight for something,” Martone says. “And she did it without ever making it about herself.”
That selflessness extended into every corner of Debbie’s life. At Good Shepherd Methodist Church, she founded the Bereavement Committee, organized Cottage Birthday Parties for Boys and Girls Country, and encouraged her congregation to partner with local schools through the Adopt-a-School program. Her faith was central to who she was, and she quietly, persistently invited others into that same warmth.
For Martone, some of the most treasured memories are the quieter ones; the Friday afternoon visits over the last two years of Debbie’s life, sitting together and talking. Debbie loved Christmas with an almost legendary enthusiasm, decorating every room of her home with a tree. She would walk Leslie through each ornament, sharing the story behind it; a trip taken, a person loved, a moment worth remembering.
“I got to hear about her travels and her adventures,” Martone says. “In the end, she looked at me and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go decorate a tree. Ya coming?’ That was Debbie.”
She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Paul; sons Jason and Jeremy and their wives Cynthia and Courtney; and grandchildren Brooke, Brandon, Briley, Mackenzie, Jackson, and Adalynn — the people she called her greatest joy.
The Cy-Fair community has lost one of its most devoted champions. But in the schools Debbie fought for, the students she lifted up, and the countless lives she touched with her whole heart, her presence very much remains.