Deborah Jeanne de Juan

Debbie passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on December 15, 2024, at her home in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She was preceded in death by her mother, Erika Keating, and her father, Jack Keating. She is survived by her three children and greatest prides: son and first born, Daniel de Juan of New York (a.k.a Danny Boy), elder daughter Erica de Juan (a.k.a. Eri Canary) of Gainesville, Georgia, and younger daughter, Emilie de Juan (a.k.a. Boo) of Cumming, Georgia. Debbie, or Noni as she became known after becoming a grandmother, also leaves her cherished grandson, Motley Walburg of Gainesville, Georgia, who was the very center of her heart. Debbie is also survived by her two dear siblings, sister Joni Keating of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and brother Craig Keating of Dawsonville, Georgia, as well as many nieces and nephews from Georgia to Madrid, Spain. She is also survived by her loving former husband of 25 years, Manuel de Juan, with whom she remained dear friends and co-parents for the rest of her life. Debbie grew up in Falmouth, Maine, on the coast of Casco Bay, and graduated from Falmouth High School in 1966. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts. She later migrated to Georgia where she and Manuel co-owned a restaurant named Daniel’s for some time, followed by many years of work in the library systems of Oglethorpe University and Dekalb County. While she always had a penchant for literature and art, it wasn’t until after her retirement that she discovered her passion for creating digital art. “Photo art is the giddy playground of the imagination,” she’d say, and what a joy it was for her to discover this playground in the aftermath of a grown-up career, creating pieces in a range of styles from whimsical and romantic to fantasy, landscapes, and collages. A dedicated student of her craft, she was highly praised by peers and mentors alike in the digital art community. This was her true calling. Debbie also had a huge passion for travel and exploring the great outdoors. She had explored nearly every hiking trail in Georgia with her ever loyal golden retriever, Krispy Kreme, who also went along on some of the legendary “sib trips” that Deb and her siblings took over 20 years, from following the Lewis and Clark Trail, to floating the Shenandoah River. Her trips to Italy with Daniel and to Yellowstone National Park with Motley were among the dearest in her heart. Her love for pups also blossomed in her retirement, when Deb created a very successful dog boarding business in 2013, which sister Joni happily helped her operate, and will continue to do so in her honor. According to her wishes, her memorial, currently scheduled for March 30th, her birthday, will begin with immediate family gathering to deliver her ashes to the Chattahoochee River on one of her favorite hiking trails in Sandy Springs. Later that afternoon, we invite you to join us for a special memorial art exhibition showcasing physical prints of her digital art and photography, all of which will be available for a small donation in the amount of your choosing to one of two charities that represent her passions and values. Follow this Facebook event page for more information on this memorial as it becomes available and for links to make advance donations to those charities.