Deborah H. (Heath) Scholl

Debbie was born on May 10th, 1952 to Betty and Bert Heath in Northfield, Illinois and died at Good Shepherd Hospital after a three week battle with Sarcoidosis and ensuing Pneumonia.  Sadly, Debbie’s husband Mike passed away 4 days after she did.  Debbie and Mike were married 48 years.  Debbie is survived by her three children, Chris (Sarah), Megan (Mike), and Courtney; six grandchildren, Julianna, Trinity, Nathan, Melana, Max and Major; sister, Carol Angell; and her brother, Barrie (Nancy) Heath.  She and Mike fostered 9 children over the last 20 years.

At age 8, Debbie and her family moved to Barrington Hills where she was able to own and work with horses, her first of many passions.  She attended Barrington High School and later obtained a degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona.  It was there she met Mike, and after a three year courtship they married in the Tucson desert in 1974. After college graduation and their wedding, they returned to Illinois, where they adopted 3 children from The Cradle. They raised their family starting in Buffalo Grove, and later in Barrington, Illinois.

Debbie started working at Hough Street School in 1985 as a teacher’s aide.  She devoted herself fully to her children, but found her calling helping hundreds of children over a 37 year career at Hough Street and Barrington High Schools and finally at the Barrington Early Education School, all in school district 220.  She made lifelong friends with her co-workers and was as devoted to those friendships as she was to her other passions.  She retired from the district in May of 2021. She spent years raising foster children in her care, tirelessly advocating for them and navigating a complicated system of government, courts and health providers.  She was a die hard Cubs fan and always the most passionate in the room while the game was on, but also enjoyed The Bulls and The Bears as well.  Debbie’s kindness and passion for others made the world a special place for each life she touched.

Services and a celebration of life will be held at Northfield Community Church at 400 Wagner Rd in Northfield IL, on December 11th, at 1 pm.  Donations may be made in memoriam to The Cradle at https://www.cradle.org/support-the-cradle/ways-give .