Barbara Lawlor, Peak to Peak. When tragedy happens in a mountain community, the people, the friends and relatives of the person who passed away come together to offer condolences to each other, to support the family and to share memories.
Deborah Jean De Pinto, 45, was born on December 15, 1973 and passed away on Monday, June 18, 2018.
On Sunday afternoon, a memorial was held at the Stage Stop Inn, in Rollinsville. It was an informal ceremony, with small groups of people hugging, sharing memories, comforting De Pinto’s children who are both students at Nederland schools.
Chasity Lamb, De Pinto’s close friend for many years, says that Deborah was a beautiful person, inside and out. “She does not deserve what happened. My daughter was her daughter’s best friend and we all hung out together. She was wonderful, no one gets any better than she was. I am very sorry and very sad.”
One of Deborah’s favorite pastimes was being with her horse. She also liked cars and cooking with her kids.
For the past 14 years, De Pinto worked in the culinary department at CU. A coworkers says, “She was a delight to work with. Her death was a shock to all of us. It seemed to come out nowhere. We received the call early the following morning.”
Hardworking was the description many people gave of her.
Sadie, De Pinto’s daughter, talked with a group of friends who gathered around her. “My mom was so energetic and enthusiastic about everything. She liked to ride horses and liked to cook with me.” she said. “She made me happy.”
Two journals were passed around in the crowd, one for each child, so people could share memories of Deborah with her children.
Donations may be made to the Peak to Peak Healthy Communities Project, PO Box 668 Nederland, CO 80466. All donations will be given to the family, for the children.
(Originally published in the June 28, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)
