Obituary of Deborah Lyn Erickson

Deborah Lyn Selbin Erickson August 1, 1961 – January 30, 2023 Deborah Lyn Selbin Erickson passed away at home on January 30, 2023, surrounded by her husband David, family, and friends. Deborah was born on August 1, 1961, to Joel and Marion Selbin in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she grew up with her big brother Eric, her twin brother Jeff, and her little brother Jonathan. After graduating from Baton Rouge High School in 1979, she attended the University of Texas, where she received her bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Social Work. Deborah’s first love was always children, and she followed her passion to work with kids in need. In Austin, she interned at the Mary Lee School providing support to girls with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Some of them stayed in touch with her into adulthood and called her mom. She later worked for Communities in Schools at Harris Elementary School, providing psychosocial support to low-income kids of color and their families. Deborah was a force of nature at work and a fierce and compassionate advocate for her kids, who loved her dearly. On November 2nd, 1996, Deborah married the love of her life, David Erickson, in a beautiful cliffside ceremony at Nakalele Point on Maui, Hawai’i. Deborah was an exceptionally loving, kind, and generous person. She was smart, beautiful, hilarious, quick-witted, vibrant, and charming. Tragically, her last 25 years were consumed largely by a debilitating illness and chronic pain, which she managed with incredible courage, dignity, and grace. If not for her illness, Deborah would be serving at risk children to this day. Her illness also prevented her from having her own children, which she always wanted, and she would have been an amazing mother. Many of her caregivers over the years remarked on how special she made them feel, including Belle, who helped care for Deborah for the last year of her life, and often said that Deborah was like a mother to her. Despite everything Deborah endured, she was a devoted daughter, a patient and caring sibling, a wonderful aunt, and a good friend. And hers was a life spent remarkably well-loved, first and foremost by her husband David, who stayed at her side through all of her hardship and who loved, supported, and laughed with her. By her family: her three brothers who she worshiped, and their partners Helen, Laurel, and Jenny; her loving parents who raised such a close-knit family; and her beloved nieces and nephews, Jesse, Micah, Zoe, Aiden, and Charlie, all of whom she adored, and her great nephew Artie, who brought her so much joy; and her aunt Diana, cousin Lily Harvey and her family, and uncle Allyn and his family. And by her best friends, Trish and Krista, who she lived with in Austin and on Maui, and who supported her to the end. Deborah fought and suffered so much over the years. She was an incredible life force, brave beyond comprehension, and an inspiration to all who knew her. We are heartbroken and miss her terribly, and her memory is a blessing. A celebration of Deborah’s life will be held on March 4 in Boulder, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, David requests that donations in Deborah’s memory be made to UNICEF (https://www.unicefusa.org/).