Deborah Mendelson Soule, 83, of Huntsville, passed away Thursday. Deborah was born in Brooklyn, NY, the middle daughter of two Russian Jews who came to this country to escape persecution. She grew up in New Jersey and lived in several other places. She came to Huntsville in the mid-1970s and loved her adopted home town deeply. Deborah was a woman of many talents and interests. Her greatest loves were her faith, her family and Partnership for a Drug Free Community, the organization she led for almost 30 years. She began each morning spending an hour reading from the Bible and other devotional books and praying for all her loved ones. She was the first and only executive director of an organization that began as Partnership for Youth and evolved into Partnership for a Drug Free Community. Her personal experience of losing a son as victim of a drunk driver fueled her passion to help prevent other such losses. During her tenure as director, the Partnership received local, state and national recognition. The organization has had its ups and downs and funding challenges over the years, but Deborah never lost faith or gave up the fight. Her latest project, Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s Leaders (TYTL) has reached multiple high school students and empowered them to live a drug-free life.
Mrs. Soule was preceded in death by her son, Maurice Doan.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Soule; daughters, Faith Kennedy and Hope Seeley; grandchildren, Andrew Kennedy, Julie Kennedy, Michael Seeley, and Megan Seeley Grasham (Zach), and Jacob Seeley; several nieces, nephews and in-laws.
Visitation will be from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Monday at Monte Sano United Methodist Church. The funeral service will follow at the church with the Rev. John Mullaney officiating. Burial will be in Cameron Cemetery in Gurley. (www.laughlinservice.com)
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Partnership for a Drug Free Community.
