Marian Lea DeBoef

Marian Lea DeBoef was born Marian Lea Tucker on November 14, 1957, in Ottumwa, Iowa to Tommy and Rae Tucker. She was the third of four children.

She died at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines on December 8, 2023, at the age of 66.

Marian graduated from Ottumwa High School in 1976. She attended Indian Hills Community College and received her Associate Nursing degree. In 1982 she was married to Rev. Clarence (Clare) DeBoef of Ottumwa.

Clare served as pastor of United Methodist churches in seven small towns across Iowa, and Marian accompanied him, occupying herself with nursing jobs in Iowa City, Davenport, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Fort Dodge, and finally Des Moines, mostly in cancer care. The last 17 years of her nursing career were spent in a cancer treatment center, administering chemo drugs to patients. She retired in 2019.

Marian’s loves included books, movies and music. She was a talented soprano and sang in church choirs wherever her husband was the pastor. She and her husband also sang duets and with other small groups in churches where they served. They loved to serve together, blessing others with the gift of music.

Marian is survived by her husband of 41 years, Clarence; her mother, Jaqueline Rae Tucker of West Des Moines; two sisters: Debra (& Bob) McDaniel of Jennings OK and Kathy (& Mike) Reese of Whitewater, CO; her daughter, Leah Trost of West Des Moines, and her child, Ainsley; four stepchildren: Clare (& Kelley) DeBoef, of Tampa, FL and their children, Timothy, Victoria and Danielle, David DeBoef of Los Angeles, CA and his children, Ashley, Chelsea, and Zachary, Doug (& Audri) DeBoef of Mesa, AZ and their children, Collin & Camlyn, and Janette (& Kim) Hall of Copperas Cove, TX and their children, Dijante & Harmoni. Also surviving are 9 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father, Tommy Tucker, her brother, Tom Tucker, and nephews, Jesse and John McDaniel.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 14, 2023, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 15, 2023, at Valley United Methodist Church, 4201 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines, IA 50265, with a luncheon to follow. Burial will take place at Evergreen Cemetery in Leighton, Iowa after the luncheon.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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