Deb Peck, a teacher who brought the universe into her classroom and a woman who never stopped exploring it herself, died on October 20, 2026, in Germantown, Wisconsin, after a long journey with Alzheimer’s disease and aphasia, surrounded by friends and family. She was 71.

Deb was born on April 18, 1955, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and grew up there, spending summers at the Dukes’ cherished cottage on Fair Lake and graduating from Kalamazoo High School. She fell in love with horses as a young girl and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, which carried her to Western Michigan University to study biology and education. She graduated in 1977, married Marty Peck, and followed his career to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where she taught middle and then high school science. In 1991 they moved to Germantown in search of open space and enough land, at last, for a horse of her own.

By then, Deb had found her true calling. She spent more than 20 years at Homestead High School in Mequon, where she was a beloved and dynamic presence. Oceanography, geology, astronomy, earth science, chemistry, biology, physics: she taught all of it, and the textbook was only ever her starting point. She took her students onto ships on Lake Michigan, gave them time on professional deep-space telescopes, and introduced them to the NASA scientists she counted as friends, even training as an astronaut herself at NASA’s advanced space camp for teachers. In 1995, long before most schools were online, she earned her master’s in education from National Louis University with a thesis on the power of the internet in science teaching. Thousands of students came away from her class with a lasting sense of possibility and wonder.

Deb was always in motion. Horses remained one of the great loves of her life; she owned a succession of horses she adored, competed in three-day eventing, and was a generous, encouraging part of the riding community. She had a gift with dogs, especially her signature Keeshonds. She sang her whole life and joined a community choir in retirement, took up road biking, and crossed the finish line of more than one sprint triathlon. If there was something new to learn or try, Deb was quick to sign up, and often the instigator.

She was theatrical and hilarious, endlessly curious, and genuinely delighted by people. She was the first to make plans, the friend you could count on, and a fierce advocate for what she believed was right. She was also the most wonderful wife, mother, daughter, and caregiver and considered her daughter, Allison, her biggest joy. Even as Alzheimer’s took so much from her, she eagerly joined research studies, hoping what was learned might help others.

The greatest lesson she taught was that everyone has the power, and the responsibility, to make the world a better place. Deb lived it every day, and once you met her, you never forgot her.

Deb is survived by her husband of 48 years, Marty Peck; her daughter, Allison Peck Bierman (Bryan); her step-granddaughter, Avery Cook Bierman; her siblings, Martin Duke, Jr., Rebecca Matyas (Jim), and David Duke (Mary Jane); her sister-in-law, Andrea Bailey; and many beloved nieces, nephews, former students, colleagues, and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin Duke, Sr. and Arloa King Duke, and her parents-in-law, Harold and Jayne Peck. Her family would like to thank all those who contributed to her care.

All those touched by Deb are invited to a celebration of her life on Saturday, April 24, 2027, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside, Wisconsin, timed with her 72nd birthday. In lieu of flowers, please hug the nearest animal, plan an adventure, and consider a gift to the Alzheimer’s Association.