Deborah Debby Keller Stevens

The life of Deborah Stevens was defined by love of family and a sense of adventure. Her life began on October 22, 1921 as she joined the Keller family already populated by parents Evelyn and Louis and siblings Jerry, Anne, and Bob. Martin, Gertrude, and Audrey followed in subsequent years. Debby deeply loved her siblings and especially looked out for her younger sisters, Gertrude and Audrey, but with six siblings she also had to stand up for herself. Big brother Bob’s teasing led to numerous wrestling matches that led Debby to jokingly comment that Bob used her for practice for the wrestling and boxing club to which he belonged. Debby, however, was not always the “innocent” victim. She was known to wait until sister Anne went to work, then don some of Anne’s clothes, wear them, and sneak them back. When Anne inquired how her clothes had gotten wrinkled or dirty, Debby said it must have been gremlins.

At 20, on November 8, 1941, Debby married her true love, a dashing soldier, Seymour. While Seymour was stationed in the South, Debby drove trucks for the army. She also transported officers to New Orleans among other places and exulted in exploring the city while the officers conducted business.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1946, she worked alongside Seymour no matter what his endeavor. Together they built a house to rent. The also built and ran a radio shop called O-Kay Radio. Her biggest challenge, however, was having Gary whom she adored and declared many times was the perfect son.

The call to adventure took Seymour and Debby in a camper truck on an excursion to Alaska and on annual visits to Quartzite, Arizona where they sold jewelry, collectibles, and yes, junk, at what amounted to a giant swap meet. Later, with Gary, the camper truck took the family on numerous trips to Split Rock Beach and Little Rock Lake and on a big journey through Central America. In 1962, Seymour, Debby, and Gary pulled up stakes and moved to the Florida Keys for a year eating lobster and swimming, diving, and fishing in the warm ocean waters.

Growing older did nothing to dim Debby’s adventurous endeavors. At one point she took up day trading. In her 80’s, she took up pool and even had her own cue. Slot machines and the arcade game, Deal or No Deal, were not-often-enough sources of fun.

However, nothing made Debby happier than a family get-together. Attending Emily’s first birthday party or Wesley’s wedding was what she lived for and talked about long afterward. Debby is now beginning a new adventure, and is smiling down on those gathered in her honor today.