Debra Villalobos

Debra Villalobos-Whaley was born on May 11th, 1955 in Alton, TX to Lenore and Herman Howard. Two years later, on February 7th, 1957 she became the big sister of Kathryn Ann Howard. From a young age Debra loved nature, gardening, had an active imagination, and was an observer and artist at heart. Though she faced many hard things in her childhood and youth, she had a very strong sense of who she was, of right and wrong, and she knew her creator. 

She lived in a lot of places and went to a lot of different schools, from TX to TN and many of the states in between, she ended up graduating in Germany from Wurzburg American High School. After returning to Chattanooga TN, she attended nursing school. She nannied in New York, gave life a try in Jackson Mississippi, reeled and fried fish on King George Island Louisiana, and for a short time winged it in CA. Let's just say she wasn't a fan of the latter, and made her way back to Chattanooga, where she went into the framing business with her sister and mom in the late 70's and early 80's. She made many friends over the years, some of which she kept in touch with. She also studied martial arts and began exploring her love of art.

In 1982 she relocated to Northern New Mexico and it has been her home ever since. It was in Taos that she began her physical fitness journey, and even made the cover of Tempo as Venus of the 80's. She quickly adjusted to the Taos hustle of working multiple jobs, built a house on Blueberry Hill when it was still a dirt road, and from a blind date met and married Steven Villalobos. On April 26th, 1988 Debra gave birth to her daughter Paloma and began the path of parenthood which she embraced and gave her all to. She continued the Taos hustle by teaching aerobics classes at Taos Spa up until her due date, became a personal trainer at Northside Health and Fitness Center, framed lot artist's work as well as framed for galleries, and with her husband, ran Opening Scene Gallery which later became F.A.C.E.T. Together they hosted many art openings and curated shows. She did all this while being a dedicated and loving mother, faithful wife, diligently served in the LDS Taos Ward, and taught art classes to kids.

On February 27th, 1999, Debra experienced the passing of her sister Kathy, which had a profound and lasting impact on her. A year later she went through a divorce and found herself navigating single life with a pre-teenage daughter and like any single parent, she did the very best she could.  In the early 2000's she met and married Bill Whaley and began writing articles and selling ads for Horsefly. She covered topics of gardening, domesticity, and aspects of life one could only experience aqui en Taos. It was at this time she also wrote about being diagnosed with cancer and all that comes with overcoming it. Just as in her youth she faced more hard things with endurance and a willingness to fight the good fight. 

In the 2010's she was no longer framing (with the exception of herself and a few friends), continued personal training out of her private gym, creating art from teabags and found objects from bones to timepieces, ribbons and snakeskins; she put a little bit of herself in every thing she created, and even had a little shop called "Just Deb" in the historic County Courthouse on the plaza. It was at this time that she began serving the seniors of Taos by doing movement and exercise classes at Ancianos two times a week, something that she loved and appreciated doing as much as her seniors loved and appreciated her. 

In early May of 2019, she received news of her mother's cancer, and on Mother's Day she made the 1500 mile drive to Chattanooga. She, with her daughter by her side, began the service of ushering her mom to the other side, and she would later call this the journey of the three tortugas, life began being lived in turtle energy. With some tension and a lot of laughter, it was an experience of a lifetime and one she never regretted. On August 9th, 2019 her mother transitioned and so began the overwhelming task of dismantling the life and home of Lenore Morris, she did it with reverence, thoughtfulness and care, and all during the chaos of the pandemic. 

On February 8th, 2021 while skiing with his granddaughter, Bill Whaley took his unexpected leave, making Debra a widow. Now she faced the world without a mother or a partner.  It was a lot to handle, and the grief became a heavy burden to bear. However, since his passing, Deb found joy in movement with her seniors, cooking for close friends and family, watching all kinds of shows, movies, and documentaries on Netflix, loving and caring for her animals, and reconnected with people of her young life. She was working on a book, and continued to put a little bit of herself in what art she could create. She nurtured her relationship with self in her solitude, for she spent a lot of time alone in the last year of her life.

Debra peacefully took her leave and joined her sister, mother, husband and many others on March 27th, at 4:26pm. Paloma has felt honored to have been by her mother's side the last twenty-nine hours of her life. Debra was held in love and appreciation, patience and gratitude as she detached her spirit from her physical form and she greeted death as an old friend. 

Anyone who knew Deb, in all the capacities she could have been known, will remember her as a sensitive yet strong woman, with a warrior-like spirit, an accepting and compassionate human being, a talented and creative artist, a steward of nature, animals, children and elders. She had a profound passion for Dia de los Muertos, she poured her heart and soul into all that she did and loved fiercely and without regret. She touched the lives of many, and made the world a better place by simply being in it. She is greatly missed and deeply loved by her daughter, her chosen family, her friends, her seniors, and her animals. 

On the morning of her cremation, Debra evoked the following thought to Paloma, "We are blessed by the universe when we work hard on ourselves, we are blessed by creator when we work hard by serving others, we are blessed by mother earth when do hard work upon her soil as stewards of the natural world. We do not do this work for the blessings, but because it is what is in our hearts to do. Blessed are they that take care of self, take care of others, and take care of nature. Live with passion and on purpose."

In Deb fashion a public Celebration of Life will be held during Dia de los Muertos. Details, to be determined and announced at a later time. Paloma wishes to express her gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time, she acknowledges that this is not just her loss but OUR loss, and she looks forward to hearing stories of her mother in the months and years to come. Deb lives in each of us, if we only remember her.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com