Obituary
Deborah brought light to everyone she met. She was never one to color in the lines, and always did things her own way. She died peacefully on September 21 from complications of an autoimmune disease, surrounded by family and very close friends.
Depending on when you met her, you might have known her as Deb, Debbie, or Deborah. Born in Richmond, Indiana, she moved with her family to Somerset, Ohio, one of six children on a farm. She went on to Indiana University, lived briefly in Texas, and came home to Indiana to start a family. She was an amazing stay-at-home mom. She had always loved to draw, and as her kids grew up she rediscovered clay and never put it down. Her figures were women with strength in them, with big hands and small heads, because as she put it, the hands are how we know the world. She was endlessly curious about glazes and new materials. Along the way she found a second calling in teaching and mentoring, and became an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Indiana. She loved every minute of it.
The oldest daughter of Ivan "Jack" and Grace Barnes, Deborah is survived by her husband, Richard; her son Chris and his wife, Brooke; her son Matt and his wife, Bri; her grandchildren, Evan and Katelyn, who called her Mimi; and her siblings, Renee, Gary, Brian, Rodney, and Richard Barnes.
Services
There will be two celebrations of her life: one with her artist community in Evansville, Indiana, and one with family in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. Dates and details will be posted here as soon as they are set.
In lieu of flowers
We are creating the Deborah Ball Legacy Fund in partnership with the New Harmony Clay Project. Gifts will support an artist-in-residence program and continued teaching of Deborah's work. A link to give will be added here once the details are final.
