Debbie Hagen Crissey

Debbie Hagen Crissey, 71, passed away at KC Hospice House on Monday, April 28, 2025. She was born on January 16, 1954, in Edgerton, Wisconsin. She graduated from Janesville Craig High School before attending the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point. After a gap year and time spent traveling abroad, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State in 1977.

Moving to Kansas City after graduating, Debbie met and married Peet Crissey, on January 18, 1986. As handsome, kind, and fun as Peet was, it might have been his two boys, Brooks and Spencer, who helped seal the deal.

A natural people person, hard worker and strategic thinker, Debbie began her professional life working with some of Kansas City's leading companies, including Macy's Midwest, Wolferman's (think English Muffins) and later, Ferrellgas. At Ferrellgas, Debbie served as Director of Communications for the company's 3,000 employees and 500 offices across the country. She later worked for a global public relations firm, Fleishman Hillard, before launching her own boutique communications company, Hagen & Partners in 1992. Since then, she has worked with both emerging public companies and billion-dollar corporations, designing and executing media campaigns, direct marketing campaigns, digital media campaigns, and investor relations events - ringing the opening bell at both the NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange. Debbie was a graduate of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Program, was president of the Kansas City chapter of the Direct Marketing Association in 1989-1990 and named Direct Marketer of the Year in 1996.

As successful and dedicated to her work as Debbie was, it was second to her love of family and friends. She carved out a rich and rewarding life - as a gardener, an amateur photographer, a patron of the arts, a voracious reader and faithful book club member. She loved fly fishing with her family, even if she never actually touched a fish. She was an avid traveler, a dog lover, a devout member of her church and constant contributor to her community. She served as a board member for Kansas Wildscape for many years, ending her tenure as board chair. She was a loving wife, daughter, sister, mom, grandmother, God-mother - always looking for the best in others and showing by example how to live with compassion and grace. She will be sorely missed by the many people whose lives she touched.

Debbie is preceded in death by her parents, Alton Maurice Hagen Jr. and Lois (Meyer) Hagen. She is survived by her loving husband of 39 years, Peet; her sons Brooks Crissey (Alexis) of Sonoma County, CA; Spencer Crissey (Kansas City, MO); two grandsons, Luke and Owen who lovingly referred to her as DeeDee; brothers Alton Hagen, III (Kansas City, MO) and Craig Hagen (Janesville, WI); and sister-in-law Judy Crissey (Kansas City, MO).

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday May 19, 2025 at St. Michael and All Angel Episcopal Church in Mission, KS. The family requests no flowers and suggests memorial contributions can be made to the University of Kansas Health Care System, Cancer Center; St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church (https://www.stmaa.com/); or Kansas Wildscape (https://kansaswildscape.org/).