Deborah Jane Leonard Ball passed away December 15, 2022 in her home in Lafayette, CO.  She was born July 9, 1932 in Denver and adopted as a newborn by Neva and Robert Leonard of Longmont.

She is survived by daughters Cyndi Hause and Tricia Morgan, and sons-in-law Rich Hause and Lem Morgan; grandchildren Alexandra Hause, Garrett Hause, Rhian Morgan, Evan Morgan, Bailey Hause,  Hannah Morgan Olson and her new husband Garrett Olson; sister Vivian Leonard Fausset and brother Edward Vance Leonard.

She was preceded in death by her parents Neva and Bob; brothers Bruce, Bobby, Willard and Duane; children Cathy, Nancy, and Billy; and her beloved husband Herman.

Debbie grew up in Longmont where she was active in church groups, summer camps, Rainbow Girls and working in the family business, Robbins’ Flower Shop. She started piano lessons when she was seven, then in high school added the clarinet, bassoon, bells and glockenspiel. She also sang in choir, a girls’ trio, and was very active in theater and forensics.

She graduated from Longmont High School in the class of 1950, a tight-knit class for whom Debbie organized reunions, up to the 72-year event this past July.

She went to Hastings College in Nebraska as a music major, which was the start of a lifelong group of friends from her dorm, calling themselves the Angels’ Bottoms. After two years at Hastings, she studied a summer at CU Boulder then transferred to Northwestern University in Chicago, where she earned a degree in Social Work.

She started her career with the Foreign Service of the State Department in Washington, DC. She was assigned to move to Paris and was booked on the Queen Mary but had cold feet at the last minute and stayed in DC where she soon met the love of her life, Herman Ball, via a bridge game.

She moved back to Denver to work in Social Work and Herman followed her west. They married in June 1956 and started their married life in Florida. They later moved to Bailey, Colorado where Herm began his career with the US Forest Service. Herm’s career then took them to Colorado Springs; Sundance, Wyoming; Custer, South Dakota; Lakewood, Colorado; Laurel, Maryland; Durango, Colorado; back to Lakewood, then to Lafayette where they retired and built a house. Along the way they had five children; surviving are Cyndi and Tricia. Her two young daughters, Cathy and Nancy, died from a neuromuscular condition and son, Billy, died in an accident.

Debbie devoted herself to homemaking and supporting Herm’s career but always had part time work - as a typist, a receptionist, and, for many years, a piano teacher -  along with volunteer work at various community organizations, lately as a hospice companion with TRU Community Care.

After retirement Debbie and Herm continued their love for travel, visiting family and friends in Israel, Uganda, Kenya, Belgium, England, China, Mexico, Russia and Thailand. They bought a camper and loved crisscrossing the country visiting friends and natural parks.

After Herm passed away in 2014, Debbie’s life revolved around family and friends. She organized reunions for her high school class and the Angels’ Bottoms, was active in the neighborhood association,  Forest Service retirees organization,  the church guild, the community center, and made and sold crafts for Relay for Life.  She loved meeting friends for lunch, chatting on Zoom calls, and joining in noisy family parties.

Debbie died peacefully at home, surrounded by her daughters and grandchildren, just minutes after the last granddaughter arrived to say goodbye.

Donations can be made in Debbie’s name to:

Tru Community Care of Boulder (Hospice)   https://www.trucare.org/make-a-donation-to-tru/ 

The National Forest Foundation    https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests

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