Deborah "Debbie" Carpenter

Debbie (Deborah) Carpenter, 70, a resident of Fort Myers since 1984, passed away Tuesday,
April 11, 2023 in Ft. Myers.
Debbie’s passion in life was Dancing!! She lived to Dance! She taught progressive line-dancing
in SW FL for 30 plus years. Her other passion was loving animals, she loved all of them – but
had a special place in her heart for DOGS, her dogs were her children: Akitas - Kiko, Yoshi,
Tomo and Rinji. A special cat named Penny – was adopted 2 years ago and she brought her
much entertainment and laughter. The love of her life was her husband, Forest Bannister.
Appropriately, they met over 30 years ago while working out at the gym. They were together 36
years and were devoted to each other. Debbie was also known for her bodybuilding
competitions and continued going to the gym and dancing only until recently. She cherished her
family and friends and was so special to all of them. She was known for her radiant smile and
her kindness to others. She made friends everywhere she went.
She worked for Lee County Government in Planning and Development for 21 years to the day!
She worked part-time at Surfrider on Sanibel for the last 30 years.
Debbie was born May 2, 1952, in Fulton, New York. She is survived by her loving husband
Forest David Bannister; stepdaughter, Veronica Bannister (Peter Cotton) of Ormond Beach, FL;
loving sister, Beth Rice of Ft. Myers; two brothers, David J. Rice, Jr of Manchester, TN and
James Rice (Karen) of Austin, TX; grandson, Cameron Mirrione; nephew, Jarred Rice as well
as nieces, Hannah Rice, Harmony Rice and Melody Rice. Parents were David and Mary Rice of
Conquest, New York/Fort Myers, FL.
A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date.
Memorial Contributions in Memory of Deborah Carpenter may be made to the Lee County
Animal Services Department where she adopted her beloved Akita Rinji.
Donations can be sent to The Animal Care Trust Fund, 5600 Banner Drive, Fort Myers, FL
33912 or wish list donations through Amazon. Animal Wish List through Amazon (Lee County
Animal Services)
Friends are invited to send condolences via the on-line guest book which can be found at
www.MullinsMemorial.com .