Deborah May Kless

February 2, 1943 – September 17, 2026

Deborah May Kless (née Zurit), a lifelong educator, artist, devoted mother and grandmother, and dedicated member of the Teaneck community, passed away on Thursday, September 17, 2026. She was 83.

Born on February 2, 1943, Deborah was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the community that would remain at the center of her life. She grew up there, attended its schools, raised her family there, and devoted much of her professional life to educating generations of Teaneck children.

Deborah began her career as a teacher in the Teaneck Public School System in 1969. She later stepped away from teaching to devote herself to raising her three children, before returning to the Teaneck schools in the mid-1980s. She continued teaching until her retirement in 2008. Over the course of her career, teaching reflected her curiosity, creativity, and commitment to helping young people learn, grow, and discover the world around them.

Creativity was also an essential part of Deborah's life outside the classroom. She was a lifelong artist, working as both a painter and sculptor. Art was a source of joy, expression, and discovery throughout her life. She continued to create and engage with the arts over many years, bringing to her work the same curiosity and individuality that characterized so much of her life.

Deborah also cared deeply about the community in which she had spent her life. She was a dedicated supporter of the Hackensack River Greenway through Teaneck, helping champion the preservation and enjoyment of one of the community's important natural spaces. Her support of the Greenway reflected both her deep connection to Teaneck and her appreciation for the beauty of the world around her.

Above all, Deborah was devoted to her family.

She is survived by her beloved sister, Abby Brawer (nee Zurit). She was the loving mother of Rachel Klein, Aaron Kless, and Sarah Siegel, and warmly embraced their spouses, Yair, Rachel, and Glenn, as part of her family. She was an immensely proud grandmother to her six grandchildren, Ruby, Isabelle, Ariel, Matthew, Yael, and Isaac.

To her friends, she was Debby or Deb. To her children, she was simply Mom. And to her six grandchildren, she was their beloved Mima.

Those closest to Debby will remember not only what she accomplished, but the small things that made her unmistakably herself. She had a wonderful sense of humor and loved a good joke and a good laugh. She had an equally well-developed sweet tooth, with a particular weakness for chocolate. And while she happily embraced sweetness, the same could not be said for spice: even the slightest hint of heat in her food was usually too much. Given a choice, Deborah would invariably choose the sweet option — in food and, in many ways, in life.

Debby's life was deeply intertwined with Teaneck. It was where she grew up, became a teacher, raised her children, practiced her art, formed lifelong friendships, supported her community, and built a life. Few people have the opportunity to contribute to one community for so long or in so many different ways.

Her family will remember her as a devoted mother and grandmother, a committed teacher, a creative spirit and artist, a loyal friend, and a woman who loved to laugh. They will remember Debby, Mom, and Mima — her humor, her art, her love of chocolate, and the countless ordinary moments that, taken together, made her who she was.

The students she taught, the art she created, the community she supported, and, most importantly, the family she loved will carry her memory forward.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Debby’s memory to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org), supporting its work in Alzheimer's care, support, and research.