"Debbie Antshel - Our Beloved Friday Friend". Written by Debbie's Friday Friend: Jennifer Beggs. Spoken by Debbie’s Friday Friends: Cecy Rameriz and Aaron Means.

We are here to honor our Friday Friend, the late Debbie Antshel. Debbie was more than a Friday Friend, she was someone you could depend on any day of the week - day or night. Her selflessness and love for others knew no bounds. Debbie had a wonderful way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. Even in the face of her own mortality, Debbie never said a word about her struggles. Instead she placed all of her energy in listening to your challenges, however small, and helping you seek solutions. Always positive, she near failed to help you or to place an encouraging word in your ear. ‘No’ was not in her vocabulary. There was always another way, and she often found it.

You would never think that such determination and will could reside in such a petite frame, but make no mistake – Debbie was a force to be reckoned with. She was a tireless advocate for those who are often forgotten in our society. She was a trailblazer who believed that everyone had the right to the same opportunities regardless of the many social, racial and economic factors that are so often used to divide us.

Debbie was consumed by her work, not only because it was her passion but because it was urgent. Education was a precious gift in Debbie’s eyes and every child who fell through the cracks was one child too many. She often spoke of teachable moments when it came to learning in the classroom. But Debbie herself provided many of those moments to us all…such as the importance of building relationships, the strength of compassion, and facing life’s toughest challenges with grace.

Debbie did what came from the heart, accolades meant very little to her. She was always the first person in the office every morning and the last person to leave every night. She never complained about the long hours, as a matter of fact she thrived on them. Even when fighting for her own life, Debbie could not stay away from her work – from talking with CMS donors while in her hospital bed to securing sponsors for the Mayor’s International Cabinet Awards two weeks before her death – she never stopped.

Among her many causes, Friday Friends was a program very close to Debbie’s heart. It encompassed everything that she loved – building bridges, breaking down barriers, and making her beloved Charlotte a better place. There are not enough words to express how remarkable and precious Debbie Antshel is to us all. And while our time knowing and working with her was much too short, we are all still very grateful for the times we shared and the light she has brought into our lives.