Debby (Blankenship) Buteau

Debby (Blankenship) Buteau, of Merrimack, NH, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2025, after a period of declining health. She was 72 years old.

Debby was born on September 27, 1952, in Savannah, Georgia, to the late Sammy and Skeeter (Fountain) Blankenship. Raised in Thunderbolt, GA, she attended Jenkins High School and graduated from Johnson High School, Class of 1970.

Debby is predeceased by her beloved husband, Michael, who passed away in 2020 after 39 years of marriage

She is survived by her daughters, Melissa Francoeur Anderson and her husband, Marc Anderson, and Maegan Buteau Burke and her husband, Tim Burke and her former son in law Jason Francoeur.

Debby’s proudest joy was her grandson, Preston Francoeur

Debby is also survived by her brothers, Sammy Blankenship and his wife Teresa, and James Blankenship, Sr. and his wife Susan, all of Savannah, GA. She is further survived by her sister-in-law, Suzanne Gray and her husband, Dave, of Manchester, NH; brother-in-law, Joseph Buteau and his wife, Kelly, of Goffstown, NH; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

In addition to her immediate family, Debby was deeply loved by her “second” family: Benjamin W. Simmons and his wife, Bobbie, of Ocala, FL, their children (sadly predeceased by Benjamin and Christopher), as well as Karen Rowland of Westampton, NJ, and her former husband, Ric Rowland of San Antonio, TX , and all their children.

A devoted mother, Debby took great joy in watching her daughters, Melissa and Maegan, play sports throughout their childhood, never missing a game. She loved spending time with her family, She had an avid love for researching her family’s heritage and genealogy, as well as gardening and birdwatching.

She loved her family and will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be held on Friday April 11th, 2025, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the Rivet Funeral Home located at 425 Daniel Webster Highway Merrimack NH 03054. A funeral service will be held the following day, Saturday April 12th at 10:00 AM at the funeral home chapel with a burial to follow at the Last Rest Cemetery in Merrimack, NH.

Kindly visit rivetfuneralhome.com to leave an online condolence for the family.