In Memory

Deborah Hettinger - Class Of 1967

   Deceased Alumni - Deborah Hettinger, FHHS '67


Dr. Deborah D. Hettinger
(August 27, 1949 - October I7, 2012)

Deborah Hettinger, a professor beloved by a generation of students at Texas Lutheran University,
died on Wednesday, October 17, in Seguin, Texas. Deborah was born on August 27, 1949 at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, and always lovingly referred to herself as "an Army brat." Deborah's father,  Col.
Lester Robertson, was a career soldier and moved his family when the Army needed him in a new
place. As a child Deborah lived in North Carolina, Oklahoma, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia,
and Japan. This early travel may have been part of why Deborah was so open to new experiences and
didn't fear people who's looks, interests, and beliefs were different from hers. Deborah made
friends wherever she went.


Stephen's College in Columbia, Missouri was Deborah's choice for her undergraduate education. At
Stephens she earned a bachelor's degree in literature, and took an equestrian course that she often
remembered fondly. She also participated in Up With People, an organization that uses music to
bridge cultural barriers and inspire people, and once traveled to Panama with the group. Deborah
went on to earn a Ph.D. degree in Physiology from the University of California at Davis. After
earning her Ph.D. she took a Post Doc position in San Antonio at the U.T. Health Science Center. In
1980 she joined the Faculty of Texas Lutheran University in the Biology Department. Deborah never
tired of learning new things, and through multiple National Science Foundation summer programs and
workshops, expanded her expertise beyond physiology to become very knowledgeable in the fields of
genetics, neuroscience, and molecular biology. She enjoyed teaching all of these subjects, and her
teaching skills were a strong influence on many of her students who went on to become researchers
and/or health care providers. She was proud of the achievements of all of her students, and many of
her students kept in touch with her, and would come back years later to visit with and thank "Dr. H" for the positive influence she had on their lives.


Deborah was proud to be a member of the Rotary Club of Seguin and a Fellow of the Texas Academy of
Science, an organization that she served for nearly a decade as the Executive Secretary. Deborah
was also a long time member of the Texas Association of Advisors to the Health Professions (TAAHP)
and served as chair of this state wide organization. As a member of the Texas Lutheran University
Health Professions Committee she wrote immmerable letters of recommendation,arranged internship  
experiences for students, conducted mock interviews to prepare students for their medical school interviews, and generally mentored the students with interest in health professions and biological research careers. Deborah will be missed greatly in each of these  roles.


Above all else, Deborah loved her family and enjoyed time in nature.  She cherished the summers when she could spend time with her parents, husband, and children in her beloved Georgian Bay, Canada.  Deborah was fascinated by and loved all living creatures, and during the summer months, she would wake before dawn to collect hatching damselfly nymphs, and spend hours under the microscope identifying  and  monitoring what species were in the region. She was also an avid and curious gardener, and filled her backyard with every color and shape of flower.


Deborah is survived by her husband, Dr. John T. Sieben, her children, Michael Hettinger, Annaliese
Hettinger, and Michael Sieben, their spouses, and four grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents Col. Lester C. Robertson and Charlie Von Schubert and her brother, Steven Michael  Hettinger.


A memorial service was held for Deborah on Monday,  October  22, 2012 at 1:00 p.rn. in the
Chapel of the Abiding Presence on the Texas Lutheran University Campus with Pastor Greg Ronning
officiating. A reception will follow in the Tschoepe Hall Atrium, also on the Texas Lutheran
University Campus.


In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations  be made in her name  to Texas Lutheran
University, Development Office, 1000 West Court Street, Seguin,  Texas, 78155-9989.

- Submitted by Doug Woodward, FHHS '67, on June 25, 2017 (article from local newspaper)