OBITUARY
Deborah Lynn Hail Waller, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and cousin, went to be with the Lord on January 20, 2026, at the age of 71. She was with her daughter and passed in peace.
Born on January 18, 1955, in San Angelo, to Bessie Shaw Hail and Fred Monroe Hail, Deb was the first daughter and third child of a loving home with siblings Michael, Gregory, and Phyllis. Brought up with faith, determination and a love of animals, she preferred to be outside with her brothers working for their daddy rather than in the house.
She and her siblings, Michael and Phyllis, stayed close as adults after losing their father and brother, both at a young age. Her adult life started hard, but with her own compass, she made her way through without losing faith that God would take care of her and her girls. Deb had a passion for horses, dogs, and enjoyed paper crafts and her vacations to do glass crafts with her cousin Truda. Deb worked hard, raised two daughters with faith and love, and always made time for family. Throughout her life, she was a source of unconditional love and help to her loved ones who will forever be grateful for having her light in their lives.
She is survived by her children, Melissa Gillespie and her husband Joshua Gillespie, Michelle Phelps and her partner Brian Long, her grandchildren, Kayden Gillespie, Blake Long, Savanah Phelps and her boyfriend Joshua Baken, Stetson Phelps and his wife Miranda Phelps, her great-grandchildren, Aubrey Phelps, Cooper Phelps, and Kinsley Phelps, two of her dogs, Willie, her beloved chihuahua and Skye, her quirky blue heeler, and many other relatives that will miss her warmth and kindness.
A funeral service to honor and celebrate Deb’s life will be held at Harper Funeral Home on January 31, 2026, at 10 a.m. Friends and family are invited to attend to pay their respects and share their memories.
If you prefer, in lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations in Deb’s honor to be made to “Train a Dog, Save a Warrior”, www.tadsaw.org, an organization that matches service members or veterans in need with a shelter dog and provides training, both causes close to Deb’s heart.
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”
–2 Corinthians 5:1
— From Harper Funeral Home
