deidre MCCORMICK
We are incredibly sad to announce that our sister, Deidre, lost her long fight with cancer.
From Deidre: Deidre is the middle sister. Enough said. Really, this explains a lot about her need for attention, but she also got her first taste of the spotlight at age 2 as John Thomas in The Curious Savage, so…
Following mom, Patricia and Dawn she graduated from Cottey College in ’87, with Dina close behind. During an illustrious theatrical career at then, CMSU she discovered technical theater might just pay the bills, but her heart was still in performance. Not an ingenue, she settled into the meatier character roles and was proud to spend several seasons at Central Missouri Repertory Theatre.
After heading home to the Ozarks, she spent two Christmas seasons at Silver Dollar City, appropriately as a saloon girl and then as a baby panda bear – cause you know… Christmas. As stage manager for a Branson theater she developed friendships with greats like Michael Martin Murphey, Johnny and June Carter Cash, and embarrassed Mel Torme. Realizing she had extra time, she took a hostess position at a local restaurant where she met her sweetheart Robert and unable to resist her charms, they married in 1996. Moving to Fayetteville, AR soon after, Deidre became Business Manager for the University of Arkansas Theater. In 1999 Riley Valentine made her debut, wanting her own piece of the spotlight arriving six weeks early, at which time the grandparents determined it was time to come back home.
Deidre was captured by the Branson Chamber and Convention & Visitors Bureau as Director of Membership and Community and Economic Development with a side of Interim Director of Tourism thrown in. After six years, she landed at The Branson Airport where she was Marketing Manager for the country’s first privatized airport and assisted with 2008’s largest air show. In 2011 Deidre was thrilled to accept the Assistant General Manager’s position at Tanger Outlets Branson, where she currently reigns.
Deidre challenged the breast cancer demon in 2014, again in 2018 with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer to the bone and because she likes a challenge, in 2020 she took on pancreatic cancer. She has an awesome oncology team in Springfield, MO, two teams at MD Anderson and her strongest warriors Robert and Riley at home. Her latest prognosis, despite the Big C’s every effort to bring her down – is looking up. Take that 2020. 💙💖💚💜
From Deidre: Deidre is the middle sister. Enough said. Really, this explains a lot about her need for attention, but she also got her first taste of the spotlight at age 2 as John Thomas in The Curious Savage, so…
Following mom, Patricia and Dawn she graduated from Cottey College in ’87, with Dina close behind. During an illustrious theatrical career at then, CMSU she discovered technical theater might just pay the bills, but her heart was still in performance. Not an ingenue, she settled into the meatier character roles and was proud to spend several seasons at Central Missouri Repertory Theatre.
After heading home to the Ozarks, she spent two Christmas seasons at Silver Dollar City, appropriately as a saloon girl and then as a baby panda bear – cause you know… Christmas. As stage manager for a Branson theater she developed friendships with greats like Michael Martin Murphey, Johnny and June Carter Cash, and embarrassed Mel Torme. Realizing she had extra time, she took a hostess position at a local restaurant where she met her sweetheart Robert and unable to resist her charms, they married in 1996. Moving to Fayetteville, AR soon after, Deidre became Business Manager for the University of Arkansas Theater. In 1999 Riley Valentine made her debut, wanting her own piece of the spotlight arriving six weeks early, at which time the grandparents determined it was time to come back home.
Deidre was captured by the Branson Chamber and Convention & Visitors Bureau as Director of Membership and Community and Economic Development with a side of Interim Director of Tourism thrown in. After six years, she landed at The Branson Airport where she was Marketing Manager for the country’s first privatized airport and assisted with 2008’s largest air show. In 2011 Deidre was thrilled to accept the Assistant General Manager’s position at Tanger Outlets Branson, where she currently reigns.
Deidre challenged the breast cancer demon in 2014, again in 2018 with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer to the bone and because she likes a challenge, in 2020 she took on pancreatic cancer. She has an awesome oncology team in Springfield, MO, two teams at MD Anderson and her strongest warriors Robert and Riley at home. Her latest prognosis, despite the Big C’s every effort to bring her down – is looking up. Take that 2020. 💙💖💚💜