Deborah Lynn Johnson

It is with a heavy heart that I, Karen Ray, announce the passing of my beloved sister, Deborah Lynn Johnson, who left us on April 16, 2025. Born on April 1, 1980, in Chicago, IL.

Deborah was a beacon of compassionate love and empathetic understanding, a source of laughter and joy with her funny and endearing nature. Living her life with a paragon of strength and resilience, Deborah faced her disabilities with grace and courage, never allowing them to define her. Instead, she found joy in the simple pleasures of life, like listening to smooth jazz, watching movies, and caring for stray cats in her South Bend, Indiana community. Deborah was an embodiment of love. She adored her family and was unwaveringly loyal to those she held dear. She had an especially deep love for Dale, her significant other, cherishing every moment they spent together. Her love for her family and Dale was a testament to her loving heart. Equally, Deborah was a devout Christian. She found solace and strength in her faith, loving to attend church and drawing comfort from the teachings of Christianity. As it's written in the Bible, "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). This verse resonated with Deborah, as she lived her life in love, spreading it around like a warm, comforting blanket.

Deborah is survived by her siblings, Karen Ray, Herbert Anderson, Lesley Johnson, and Kimberly Johnson, as well as her brother-in-law, Michael-Paul Ray, and her significant other, Dale Williams. She is preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Delores Johnson, and her sister, Carolyn Anderson.

A visitation for Deborah will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10:00 am EDT at Alford's Mortuary, 1222 Napier Street, South Bend, Indiana, 46601. The service will follow at the same location at 11:00 am EDT. Deborah's life was a testament to the power of love, resilience, and faith. She was a special soul whose memory will remain etched in our hearts forever. We invite you to share your favorite memories and photos of Deborah on her memorial page, celebrating her life and the love she shared with all of us.

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