Debra Sue (Masching) Lee, age 56, of Robins, IA died August 7, 2024. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 12, 2024, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Hiawatha, Iowa, with Father Emmanuel Fénelus as Celebrant. Visitation will be 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday at Murdoch – Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Cedar Rapids. An additional visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll, Iowa, followed by burial at 3:30 p.m. in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll with full military honors conducted by Offutt Air Force Base Funeral Honor Detail and the Carroll American Legion.
Local arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Deb’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
She was born September 11, 1967, in Carroll, IA to Marvin and Judith (Pudenz) Masching. Deb was raised in Scranton, Halbur, and Hanlontown, IA. She attended Kuemper Catholic High School and graduated from North Central Manly in 1986. She attended The University of Iowa and graduated from Creighton University with a degree in Exercise Science and Pre-Medicine in 1990. She earned master’s degrees from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Aeronautical Science-Operations and Management, and The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Counseling.
Deb was a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Hiawatha, IA. She taught Faith Formation Classes and was a Eucharistic Minister. She served on the Xavier Booster Club. She loved to follow her kid’s school and activities; always being their biggest and loudest supporter. She loved sports and played softball, indoor and beach volleyball, as well as golf. After retiring she was a substitute teacher for schools in North Las Vegas until she started working with General Atomics in California. She loved to fly both in the military and personally.
She attended the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and was Commissioned a Second Lieutenant and a Distinguished Graduate from The University of Nebraska, Omaha in 1990. She started service at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida as an Air Traffic Controller in 1991 and ended at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in 2015, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1997, she became the first female B-1 Bomber Pilot. In 2004-2006, she served as Commander and Instructor at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her overseas tours include Bahrain, Afghanistan, Balad, Iraq, becoming the first female Remotely Piloted Aircraft Squadron Commander. From 2012-2015 she flew with the President and Vice President on Air Force One and Air Force Two. After retiring, she went on to work at General Atomics in Poway, CA, AECOM in Las Vegas, NV and lastly at Collins Aerospace/Raytheon in Cedar Rapids, IA as a Senior Program Manager.
Deb is survived by her 2 children, Christian Lee, Grand Forks, ND, and Caitlin Lee, Robins, IA; her dad, Marvin Masching; her siblings, Terrence (Pam) Masching, Lawton, IA; Patrick (Rachel) Masching, Godfrey, IL; Kim (Bruce) Rupp, Bloomington, MN; and Craig (Jill) Masching, Sioux Falls, SD; fourteen nieces and nephews, Mackenzie (Taylor) Riley, Mitchel Masching, Aaron Kirby, Cody (Bella) Masching, Heidi Masching (Special Partner Breanne), Hayley Masching, Brady Schnelton, Haley Schnelton, Kolby Schnelton, Jessica Rupp, Nicholas (Katie) Rupp, Alysia (Jordan) Swanson, Ethan Masching and Tyler Masching; 5 great nieces and nephews, Olivia Riley, Leia Riley, Leo Swanson, Lily Swanson, and Gordon Rupp; her dogs Bailey and Bear. Deb, CJ, Caitlin and her extended family would like to thank the Xavier High School, Xavier Dance Team, Prestige, and Work “Family” and Friends as well as Robins Neighbors and Military “Family” and Friends who have been supportive since day one of her Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer diagnosis.
She was preceded in death by her mom, Judith Masching; and her maternal grandparents, Norbert and Eleanora Pudenz; and paternal grandparents, Fred and Mary Masching.
Memorials in Deb’s memory may be directed to Metastatic Breast Cancer Research or Shriners Hospital for Children, 2211 N Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60707.
