Debra Mabel's Obituary
Debra (Deb) Greenblatt Mabel, 76, of Boynton Beach, FL passed away on December 10, 2023. She is survived by her loving son Scott (Caitlin Whelan), sister Phyl (Neil) Rubinstein, and brother Daniel Greenblatt, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and first cousins. She was predeceased by her husband Richard as they approached their 50th wedding anniversary, and by her sister-in-law Ginger Greenblatt.
Deb grew up near Harvard Square, Cambridge and was active in the Jewish Community Center, where she met her future husband as a teenager. A favorite childhood memory includes Saturdays at Grammie’s. In Cambridge she enjoyed the folk music scene at Club 47 and stayed a fan of artists like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul & Mary for her entire life.
She graduated from Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse, then raised her family in Somerville and Burlington, Massachusetts. She worked in Maternity Care and OB/GYN nursing for nearly 40 years, starting at Cambridge City Hospital and retiring from Boston Medical Center. Deb had Type 1 Diabetes her entire adult life, and devoted the latter half of her nursing career to working with under-privileged women whose pregnancies were complicated by diabetes. She also went back to school to become a Certified Diabetes Educator.
Although she was never a techie, she became an expert regarding diabetes technology. She was an administrator for the global online community “Insulin Pumpers”, and later founded insulin pumping support groups in both Massachusetts and Florida. Living with diabetes is complicated, and she really glowed when she was able to educate someone in one of her groups and help them manage their disease.
Deb never knew a stranger, from the cashier at the grocery store to the waitstaff at the restaurant. She played in several maj jong and canasta groups, and enjoyed live music including folk and 50’s doo-wop, regularly attending shows by her good friends North Shore Acapella.
A graveside service will be held at the South Florida National Cemetery, Lake Worth, FL on December 14, 2023 at 10:30am. Shiva to follow graveside service, and again on Friday, December 15, 2023, from 10am - 4:30pm at the Mabel residence in Valencia Lakes at: 7601 Las Cruces Court Boynton Beach, FL 33437. The family asks in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center (https://www.joslin.org/) or the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/).
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