Debbie (Capparelli) Barsotti

Debbie was born on November 16 and died on 8/2/2023 after living a year with the complications of a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Her faith and love of God guided all the days of her life and provided peace through the very end of her life.

She is survived by her children, their spouses/partners, and grandchildren: Benj & Jennie Barsotti (Bruno and Thomas), Sadie & Peter Hjorth (Samson, Elsie, and Greta), Peter & Tara Barsotti (William, Caroline, and Edward), Beth Barsotti & Herbert, and connected by love Jessie & Rob Wimer. Deb’s legacy will live on in her community and all those they touch. She is survived by her husband, Richard, and her brother and sister-in-law, Doug and Bonnie Capparelli.

Debbie grew up in southeast Portland, attended Franklin High School followed by Marylhurst and Oregon State (go Beavs!). Dick and Debbie lived in Corvallis, Portland, Los Angeles, and then Northern Maine before returning home with the family to Portland in 1982. She and Dick married in 1970 and welcomed Benj, Sadie, Peter, and Beth into the family. She felt strongly that her house was meant for everyone who needed a place to be.

She lived her values every day of her life. At the beginning it was babysitting her cousins, being a Girl Scout, and even working as a Girl Scout counselor. Then in early marriage before children, she worked at the White Shield home for Unwed Mothers. As her family grew, she volunteered in her children’s schools and parish (Madeleine and Central Catholic), and eventually became an employee of Central Catholic where she was the Main Office Manager (MOM). She lived an unbroken thread of caring for children and families throughout her entire life.

She made sure that everyone (seriously, everyone!) knew that they had a place in the Barsotti home. All her children knew that no matter how many people they brought home unexpectedly, they would all be welcomed and fed. These friends learned that they could come study here even when there were not any Barsotti children present.

With her first grandchild she claimed the title of “Nonna,” Italian for grandmother. This loving, welcoming, nurturing role defined this stage of her life for her grandchildren and anyone else who wanted or needed it. Her granddaughter, Caroline, had asked Debbie to be her confirmation sponsor. When asked why, Caroline responded that not only was she her own Nonna, she was “a Nonna to everyone else, too.”

Debbie, her family, and friends were fortunate to have a period where she was home on hospice. She had so many friends and family stop by to see her and share her final moments. Her visitors brought countless stories of generosity, openness, faith, and role modeling. Even from her deathbed, Debbie ensured that her visitors were treated to her special “Nonna” hospitality. She made sure her helpers had the main bathroom wiped down and Dick had it stocked with clean hand towels. She insisted everyone be offered something to eat and drink. This was an easy task as, due to the generosity of visitors, the abundance of food already present had somehow increased by the end of the day—a true “fishes and loaves” phenomenon. If you were fortunate enough to visit the Barsotti home during Debbie’s last days, you would see parents playing with their children in the same basement playroom still filled with the same toys they played with as children. (Some of the parents also checked out Deb’s well-stocked pantry as they had so many times before.) People shared memories of their interactions with Debbie; she had the opportunity to hear how even the smallest moments with her made positive lifetime impacts.

The family is eternally grateful for the care and support from Dr. Migdady, Bone Marrow Transplant Team and the marvelous and caring staff on 14K at OHSU.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Central Catholic High School, Bruno and Catherine Barsotti Endowed Scholarship, PAN Foundation (that helps with funding expensive medicines), and Be The Match.