Friends of Debra Webb Gable weren’t surprised she wanted to make a legacy gift to Lutheridge. “All of us who were close with Debra knew this was her plan,” says Anna Wicker Sease, a friend and fellow Lutheridge counselor from the 1970s.
Like many who have served on summer staff at camp, Debra’s experience as a counselor made a big impact on her. “Lutheridge opened so many doors for her,” recalls Rachel Rhodes-Dyar, another friend and fellow camp counselor. “Webb (as she was known at camp) became close to so many people at camp. If you needed a friend, she was there for you.”
A musician who shared her instrumental gifts while at camp, Debra kept making music throughout her life, even playing at the weddings of several camp friends. She continued to find joy through the connections she made with those at Lutheridge. “If anyone had a reunion, she’d be there,” says Lutheridge friend Terry Park Hannon. “Any time we got together memories poured out. We would do a lot of reminiscing about camp days.”
Following the death of her husband Bill in 2019, Debra made an intentional plan to name Lutheridge as a beneficiary of her estate. Having experienced the blessings of Lutheridge as a summer camp counselor, Debra wanted to help ensure others would experience joy, grow in their faith, and build the types of lasting relationships she did during her time spent at camp.
Debra died of cancer in 2023. This year, Lutheridge received Debra’s legacy gift. The documents accompanying the gift explained, “Debra spent several summers in her teens as a camper and made life-long friends during those years. Debra believed in the camp and the positive effect it can have on developing character and establishing friendship and community. It was her wish that the funds provide campers with a continuing opportunity to grow and flourish at Lutheridge.”
We are grateful for the life and legacy of Debra Webb Gable, for the ways she contributed to this ministry while on staff and as a lifelong friend of Lutheridge, and for the generosity camp inspired in her.
If you would like to learn more about including the camps of NovusWay in your legacy plans, we invite you to contact Pastor Nathan Gragg, Development Officer, 828-209-6326 or NGragg@NovusWay.org.
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