Deborah 'Debbie' Deutsch was known by many names. She was first known as a daughter, when she was born to her parents, Jack and Sue Lichter, on October 14th, 1944, in New York City. Her siblings, Sally and Gary, knew her as a sister. They grew up together in the Bronx of New York City, and they traveled to the quaint mountain community of Smallwood, NY, in the summers, where they spent their time outdoors, often shooting archery, waterskiing, and fishing at the local pond. Debbie was known as an artist. She loved to draw and to paint, often depicting still life and people in her work. She was accepted to the Bronx High School Music and Arts program as a teenager, where she would spend four years refining her craft. After graduating, Debbie and her father Jack drove to Las Vegas in the summer of 1962, where her Uncle Sam and Aunt Betty resided. She would begin studying art and art history at Nevada Southern University that same year. Debbie was known as a wife. She met her love, Marshall 'Marsh' William Deutsch Jr., at Las Vegas Bowl, where they were both attending a college-sponsored bowling class. Debbie had her own bowling shoes, her own ball, and was one of the best bowlers in the class, quickly catching Marsh's attention. Her fancy bowling shoes would lead her to the man she would spend the rest of her life with. Debbie and Marsh immediately fell in love, and after a year and a half of time together, they eloped to Goldfield, NV, to be married on March 27th, 1964. While Marsh finished his degree, Debbie worked as a bank teller. In January of 1966, with his degree complete, Marsh joined the United States Air Force, and they moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota Air Force base where he began his service. Debbie volunteered as the head of the Air Force base youth program, one of the first signs of her new found love of community involvement and leadership. During this time in North Dakota, Debbie would be known as a mother. Her son, Eric Scott Deutsch, was born on March 20th, 1968, followed by her daughter, Candace Denise Deutsch, on April 12th, 1970. Debbie, Marsh, and their new family moved back to Las Vegas shortly after Candace was born to begin building their dream, ranch-style home in the 'boondocks' (as Debbie liked to call it). On two acres of land in the vast, dry desert of southern Las Vegas, the Deutsch's got to work, spending all their free time framing the home, laying Spanish floor tiles, and soaking up the hot sun together. Debbie was incredibly handy, inquiringly creative, and undeniably hard working. The home was her greatest and favorite work of art. It was the perfect place to raise a family. Debbie was known as the 'Kool-Aid Mom.' As her children began to grow, she loved hosting play-dates for her kids and their friends, where ice cold glasses of Kool-Aid could always be found. She was the first to volunteer for any type of community or leadership role in her children's lives. She was known as a room mom, den mother, Brownie leader (girl scouts), sports scorebook keeper, Parent Teacher Association member, soccer board member, and so much more. Debbie was known as an animal lover. Her family home was a small ranch, complete with horses, turtles, dogs, cats, and stray animals of any kind. She welcomed and cared for any creature that wandered into her home. She loved to ride her horses, and she loved her pets as well, especially Bronson, the family Golden Retriever, and Jango, her first 'grand-dog.' Debbie was known as a hard worker. She spent much of her time tending to her home and her property. She mowed the lawns, cared for the garden, and loved to decorate, always with southwestern styled themes-it seemed her greatest art project was never finished. The rest of her time was spent assisting Marsh, who began working in his family's insurance business. Debbie was known as a golfer. After her children left home for college, Debbie and Marsh took to the links, spending countless hours on the course together. When her arthritic psoriasis (fancy words for joint pain) became too painful to play through, Debbie persisted and found other ways to stay involved in the sport. She became a score keeper, beginning with charity golf tournaments and evolving to University of Nevada Las Vegas, PGA, LPGA, and Senior PGA events. She absolutely cherished her time in the world of golf and made many lifelong friends through the sport. Debbie continued to be the best mother she could be with her kids away at college. With both of her children playing soccer at their respective schools, one in San Diego and one in Thousand Oaks, Southern California, she often made the drive south to see her kids play. When the games were over, she would take her kids to the liquor store to stock up on supplies to make strawberry Daiquiris in their dorm rooms. She was the 'Kool-Aid Mom' after all. I knew Debbie as Grammy. As one of her six grandchildren, I can tell you there was no better feeling as a child than knowing Grammy was coming for a visit. She dedicated many hours to driving to Modesto to see my brother and I, and flying to Dayton, Ohio to see our cousins. She spoiled us all rotten, with more gifts, love, attention and care than we could ever handle. I will never forget our nights together, staying up past bedtime watching Tom and Jerry cartoons and eating Oreo cookies until I felt sick. In the later years of her life, Debbie was known as a video poker extraordinaire, a Tareyton 100's connoisseur, a lover of Villa Pizza, and a caring owner of her two cats, Lizzy, and Cinco. As her age increased, so did the number of inappropriate jokes, earning her the name 'X-Rated Grammy' among her grandchildren. Debbie was known as a smoker. She battled her nicotine addiction all her life, and she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009. Initially, she received treatment for her illness, but eventually declined more aggressive and advanced forms of medicine. Debbie was known as a fighter. Despite her cancer, she continued to live her life on her own terms. In June of 2023, fourteen years after her initial diagnosis, Debbie's cancer had finally spread to a point of no return. In her last months of life, she was cared for by her loved ones in her home, namely Marsh, family, friends, and Nathan Adelson Home Hospice. Debbie passed away two days before her 79th birthday, on October 12th, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Sue. She is survived by Marsh, her husband of 59 years, her son Eric Deutsch (Courtney), and her daughter Candace Lynch (Rob), her sister Sally Eskenazi, and her brother Gary Lichter. She was blessed to be known as Grammy to Jake Lynch, Justin Lynch, Peyton Deutsch, Parker Deutsch, Charlotte Deutsch, and Simon Deutsch. She was known by many names in her life, but today, in simplistic beauty and painful sorrow, we all know her as Debbie Deutsch, a fierce, generous, witty, strong-willed, and loving soul. In lieu of flowers, gifts, etc. the family requests that donations be made to The Animal Foundation, Las Vegas's largest animal shelter (use this email as a reference when donating: deut770@gmail.com). Click here to make a donation.

The family will host a memorial gathering on Sunday, December 3rd, from 1-4pm at Sierra Gold Banquet Room (Second floor) at 6515. S Jones Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89118.