Debbie Niwa ~ Class of 1975
Debbie’s comment on the Earawan
“Probably the greatest frustration with putting out a yearbook is working continuously for seven months without seeing results until the final copies are released at the end of the year. But when they’re finished it’s really great feeling of accomplishment!!! And all the hours we’ve spent after school, on weekends, and during vacations makes it worth even more!,” exclaimed Debbie Niwa, editor. “I suppose that’s the main reason why members will return the following year even though many times you can hear them threaten-ing: I’ll never do it again!” Not only do staffers gain an understanding of journalism but also the real meaning of cooperation. “One thing I’ve learned is that unless everyone gets along many unnecessary problems arise. Usually arguments begin but they end up in jokes or people chasing around. It just serves to break the monotony and we have a good time,” explained one staffer.
Becky Barnett lovingly wrote:
It is with a very heavy heart that I share that my good and longtime friend, Debbie Niwa, Class of 1975 passed away on July 13, 2026, after having a stroke this past March. I meet Debbie in 1973 on an ISB new student retreat. We both ended up going to the University of Arizona and after graduation, she was my maid of honor when I got married. We would visit with her and her son, Jesse whenever we were back in Tucson. We continued to have long conversations over the phone all these years. She was a great researcher and writer, and we would have some very interesting discussions. We truly miss her.
Please keep her son and mom and extended family in your prayers.
Debra Kay Niwa
68, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away on July 13, 2026
She was born on November 12, 1957 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Kyoichiro “Kayo” and Madge Niwa (née Hakata). Her family lived several places, including Thailand and Hawaii, eventually settling in Tucson where Debbie earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design with a minor in Japanese from the University of Arizona.
Debra was a constant creator and a talented artist, always with a project in the works. She built a 45-year career as a graphic designer, starting with publications like City Magazine before starting her own freelance design business.
Beyond her design work, she was an independent researcher with the instincts of a detective. Starting in 2001 with investigations into TUSD’s policies and programs – her son’s school district – she spent nearly two decades producing deeply documented research on education policy, trade agreements, health care reform, and international governance.
She approached every subject with patience and precision, tracing documents through their origins and building case files that spanned years. Her compilation on North American integration was praised as a definitive contribution, and fellow researchers called her work “masterful.”
Debbie always said raising Jesse was her greatest accomplishment, raising him in east Tucson in her beloved childhood home, spending her days caring for it and maintaining the yard. She carried her artist’s eye into everything she did – the design of a brochure, the tending of her garden, the care she gave her beloved home in east Tucson.
She could see beauty where others looked past it.
Generous and fiercely independent, she was the kind of person whose laugh could fill a room — and her parrot Gabby loved to join in. She loved to hike and camp, usually on her own schedule. As an oldest child and natural leader, she took pride in her brothers, Gregg and Scott. She found deep joy caring for her granddogs Tanuki and Butter. As the family historian, she spent countless hours compiling a pictorial history of the Niwa and Hakata generations, preserving stories that would otherwise have been lost.
She is survived by her mother, Madge Niwa; her son, Jesse; and her brother, Scott Niwa. She was preceded in death by her father, Kyoichiro “Kayo” Niwa, and her brother, Gregg Niwa.
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