Who Was Mark Wahlberg’s Sister Debbie Wahlberg and How Did She Die?

Debbie Wahlberg (July 8, 1960 – September 2, 2003) was an American woman from Dorchester in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, best known as the sister of Mark Wahlberg, a famous Hollywood actor. Debbie passed on in September 2003 following a heart attack she suffered during a medical procedure. 

Debbie Wahlberg gained notoriety as a result of her renowned brother, a successful actor and producer. Sadly, not many people were aware of her until it was revealed that Mark had lost a sister in 2003. The well-known actor has also spoken at length about the passing of his sister. Because it was also the day he became a father for the first time, he once said that the day she passed away was bitter-sweet. The day Debbie passed away, his daughter Ella Rae Wahlberg was born.

Debbie Wahlberg Was Born and Raised in Boston, Massachusetts

Mark Wahlberg’s Sister, Debbie Wahlberg, was born on the 8th of July 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts. Although she was fondly called Debbie, she was named Deborah Ellen Wahlberg at birth.

One of the nine children her parents had, Debbi was raised in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. She was about 11 years older than Mark who is the youngest of the Wahlberg siblings. The Hollywood actor was born on the 5th of June 1971 and is currently 52 years old.

Needless to say, Debbie was a citizen of the United States of America and she belongs to the Caucasian ethnic group. Per reports, she is of Swedish descent and also has a distant Irish, French, and Canadian heritage.

Her parents were Donald Edmond Wahlberg Sr. and Alma Elaine (nee Donnelly). Her father was a U.S. Army veteran who reportedly fought in the Korean War. After the war, he took up a job as a delivery driver. On the other hand, her mother was a bank clerk who also worked as a nurse’s aide at some point in her life.

Through her mother’s side of the family, Debbie was a distant relative of Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was a well-known American novelist and short story writer who, according to records, lived from the 4th of July 1804 to the 19th of May 1864.

Details regarding the schools Debbie attended are not public knowledge, but it is said that she was raised a catholic. She was 22 years old when her parents decided to end their marriage in 1982. It is hard to tell what Debbie did for a living. Some reports claim she was an actress but this seems to be false as there are no acting roles attributed to her.

Who Were Debbie Wahlberg’s Siblings?

The late sister of Mark Wahlberg had a total of eleven siblings. She had eight full siblings and three half-siblings. Debbie came from a large family and Mark Wahlberg is the most prominent member of her family. Her half-siblings were all older than her and their names are Donna Wahlberg, Scott Wahlberg, and Buddy Wahlberg. Her father had them from a previous relationship before he got married to her mother. Only two of her half-siblings are still alive, Buddy died many years ago.

Being one of nine children her parents had together means that Debbie Wahlberg had eight full siblings. Disregarding Mark who is her most popular sibling as well as the youngest, she had an additional five brothers. Their names are Donnie, Paul, Robert, Jim, and Paul Wahlberg. This means she had a total of six brothers and two sisters. Her sisters’ names are Michelle Wahlberg and Tracey Wahlberg.

Debbie Was Also a Married Woman with a Family of Her Own

According to some stories, Debbie wasn’t dating or married when she passed away. That is untrue. Our research indicates that she was married and had her own family when she passed away.

The late Mark Wahlberg’s sister was married to Edward A. Jackson, with whom she had a son named Donald A. Jackson. Many details regarding the family she left behind are unknown, including the names of her husband and son.

How Old was Debbie Wahlberg When She Died?

Debbie Wahlberg was 43 years old when she died. As stated earlier, she was born on the 8th of July 1960 and died on the 2nd of September 2003. She was in her early 40s when she passed on. Had she survived the medical procedure that claimed her life, she would be 63 years old right now.

Debbie died before both of her parents. About five years after she passed away, her father, Donald Wahlberg Sr., died. Records have it that he died sometime in 2008. Her mother, Alma, died 18 years after her. She reportedly died at the age of 78 in April 2021.

How Did Debbie Wahlberg Die?

Mark Wahlberg’s sister died unexpectedly following a medical procedure. Per reports, she had kidney stones and it was the health condition that led to her death. To get rid of the condition, Debbie was subjected to a medical procedure that was supposed to be simple and uncomplicated. But then, she suffered a sudden heart attack during the surgery meant to get rid of the kidney stone and it claimed her life.

How Did Debbie’s Death Affect The Wahlbergs?

Debbie Wahlberg’s death came as a rude shock to her family. Even though she had a health issue, it was not expected to claim her life. Unsurprisingly, her death was difficult for her parents to bear, especially her mother, Alma. Her brother, Donnie, once spoke of her passing, saying that it devastated their mother in no small manner as it left her feeling lost and crushed.

Her famous brother, Mark Wahlberg, also described her death as a difficult time for the Wahlberg family. According to him, their mother went into a deep depression afterward. He also described the day his sister died as bitter-sweet. As stated earlier, this was the day he welcomed his first child, a daughter named Ella Rae. Because of this, the actor regards his late sister as his daughter’s guardian angel. Each year he celebrates Ella’s birthday he also honors Debbie’s memory.

Debbie Wahlberg’s Cause of Death

The abrupt heart attack Debbie Wahlberg suffered while having surgery to remove kidney stones was the cause of her demise. She passed away in Kingston, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, on September 2, 2003, and was laid to rest at Mt. Benedict Cemetery in West Roxbury, Suffolk County.