Deborah Newhall

HAVANA - Marietta Deborah Newhall, 56, co-owner of Newhall Photography in Havana, died Friday, November 9, 2007, at her home.
The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. EST Saturday, November 17, at Havana First Presbyterian Church. The interment will follow at Woodland Cemetery in Havana. Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Faith Funeral Home (850-539-4300 or www.faithfuneralhome.com). The family has requested flowers, however, those wishing to make memorial contribution may make them to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308.
She was born in Sacramento, California, on April 12, 1951, the daughter of John Smith Newby and Marietta Halliene Ramsey Newby. Called Deborah by family and friends, she attended many schools as the family moved about the country quite a bit. She started school in Savannah, Georgia, at the Juliet Lowe Elementary, where she helped the teacher teach the first grade and ending at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She was always an excellent student and used her fine mind and warm heart to make things better in her community whereever she was.
She and Eric Newhall were married in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 15, 1974. They then moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where they owned Delmar Studio on Monroe Street for nine years and then changed the name to Newhall Photography. Wanting a change, they moved the business to Havana, Florida, in July 1998. Deborah worked at the Centel Phone Company, JC Penney's, Mae's Shop and, finally, as the office manager of Newhall Photography.
Her lifelong love of God led Deborah to devote much of her time to Christian endeavors. She was active in many churches in Tallahassee, including The Chapel of the Resurrection Episcopal Chapel near Florida State University, St. John's Episcopal Church, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Pisgah United Methodist Church and St. Francis Episcopal Church. Then she attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Quincy, then All Saints Anglican Church of Tallahassee.
In Havana she was an associate member of The First Presbyterian Church and visited Salem United Methodist Church and First Believers Church. She served on the mission board and choir of The Chapel of the Resurrection, the choir of St. John's Episcopal, as soloist at Pisgah United Methodist Church, in the choirs of St. Paul's Episcopal and of First Presbyterian Church of Havana. She also performed in a concert of sacred music at Salem United Methodist Church in Havana. She participated in Bible studies at First Believers and First Presbyterian Churches in Havana.
Deborah was also a member of the Tallahassee Community Chorus from 1988 to 1994 and served as an officer for most of those years, including president from 1991 to 1993. She was a member of the Tallahassee Civic Chorale from 1998 to 2002. She was an active member of the Council of Neighborhood Organizations (CONA) in Tallahassee from 1993 until 2004 and fought for numerous neighborhood issues during that time. ln Havana she served as a volunteer with the ICAN tutoring program and the New Beginnings Program. In 1997 she received a Master of Wildlife Conservation Certificate from the University of Florida.
She is survived by husband of 33 years, Eric Newhall; her mother, Halliene Newby; three brothers, John William (and wife Monica), Carl Richard (and wife Debra) and Hugh Christopher (and wife Concetta Newby); two nieces, Joy Alvers and Nicole Lindeman; five nephews, Jonathan, Matthew, Paul, David and Andrew Newby, and their families; five grandnieces and nephews; and her cousins, Freddy and Johnnie Newby, Janice Brooks, Jane and John H. Singley.
She was preceded in death by her father, John Smith Newby.
Perhaps the best and truest thing that can be said about Deborah is she loved passionately and well. First Jesus Christ, then her family, then everyone else with whom she came in contact. Nearly everyone who knew her loved her and will miss her, but will be happy they knew her.