Deborah Henderson Collier

A memorial service for Deborah Henderson Collier will be at 2 pm Friday, June 23, 2017, at The New Life Evangelism Center of Natchitoches located at 4810 University Parkway, Natchitoches, LA 71457. Deborah, 68 years of age and a resident of Natchitoches, passed away Saturday, June 10, 2017, at her residence with her family by her side. She was born on Wednesday, December 29, 1948, in Jacksonville, Fl to A.J. and Sheila Merwin Henderson. After her childhood, she moved to Connecticut, where she eventually settled down in the town of Kent with her family. Her children always came first, so she set out to support them by working as an art representative at her self-started business named “The Art Registry”. She also worked for a community welcoming committee called "The Welcome Wagon”. Her warm, open personality carried her through well when in social situations and conversations dealing with clients and prospective clients. She knew her strengths well, and this allowed her to use her conversational abilities to connect with each customer in the exact, specific way their needs required. Not everyone can say they chose the perfect job, but in her case this was true. Even years later, she would fondly reminisce about this time in her earthly existence and how much it meant to her. In the late nineties, she moved to live with her husband, Bruce Collier, an amazing man who worked in the Air Force as well as a paper mill company. Their time spent together was full of love, appreciation, and respect for each other. During her time in this new phase in her life, she focused more on being a homemaker and spending time being with her spouse and her children. She occupied herself with keeping in touch with other family members and old friends. Her sweet heart was instrumental in not only listening to other peoples' problems but also being able to understand the issues and being able to give good quality advice, all to the best of her ability. Her constant empathy and sympathy for others are what made her such a special person. Her deep sense of faith not only gave others hope and help, but spiritually, emotionally, and mentally brought her through difficult times. At the end of her existence here, she was dealing with many problems that made her very tired. However, even though she lacked energy, and through all the times she could have been thinking of her own personal trials and tribulations, she still was only focused on putting others first. About a month before she left this world, she went on a trip with some of her family to volunteer to help the less fortunate in a soup kitchen in West Virginia. After making others dreams happen for so long, she finally fulfilled her own. It is this loving and giving spirit of bringing joy to all those she met that she will be most remembered, missed and loved for. She was preceded in death by her parents, A.J. “Buddy” Henderson and Shelia Johnson; and her nephew, Daniel Brzoska. She is survived by her husband, Bruce Collier; her sons, Shane, Seth, Jeremy, and Cody Pociask and their father, Bernie Pociask; her daughter, Bethany Campbell; her sisters, Dana Brzoska and Denise Merrill; and numerous nieces and nephews.