Deborah Louise Stagg

Born on May 21, 1972 in San Francisco to Barbara Laurie Stagg and David Christie Stagg III, Deborah Louise Stagg was the second oldest sister in a family of five girls. Fiercely independent from an early age, she quickly established an identity apart from her older sister Alice Mann (née Stagg) while tending devotedly to her three younger sisters, Amy, Joanna, and Maggie Stagg. Deb’s close friends can attest to her deep loyalty; she was just as dedicated to childhood friends as she was to her current work friends. Deb was a true foodie from an early age, taking everyone in her family to Chez Panisse and all the best Bay Area restaurants long before California cuisine was recognized on the national scene. She was the consummate dinner party hostess and her au gratin potatoes, crème brûlée, and just about every delectable dish she laid her hands on became sought-after recipes. She was an enthusiastic participant in an annual “cook off” dinner party with her friends, where she gleefully won the coveted “Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese” award in 2011. Deeply attached to her family, Deb opted to do a semester at Queens College in New York so she could care for her gravely ill grandmother. She graduated from University of California at Davis with her Bachelor of Arts in History and then went abroad to live and study in Paris. When Deb returned to the U.S., she earned her Master of Library & Information Science from University of Pittsburgh. She was very proud of managing a team for six years in her position at Wells Fargo Bank, where she was responsible for business systems consulting and data quality.

Deb was a saver, not a spender, and owned her own home in Richmond, CA where she meticulously designed and cultivated a beautiful garden of vegetables, citrus, and flowers. She was an avid runner for many years and loved walks and hikes in her East Bay neighborhood. Deb was always up for crossing the Bay Bridge early on a Saturday morning to meet friends and family at the local SF Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market.

After fighting a longstanding illness for many years with the tireless support of her family and friends, Deborah died at the heartbreakingly young age of 49 on July 28, 2021 at California Pacific Medical Center. She is dearly missed by her loving family: father, David Stagg; mother, Barbara Stagg; and her four sisters, Alice Mann, Amy Stagg (Chris Orcutt), Joanna Stagg, and Maggie Stagg (Jeremy Pearl) along with her four nieces and two nephews. Donations can be made in loving memory of Deborah Stagg to The Smart Ride at https://www. thesmartride.org/smartride-2019/6621 and The Sonoma Mountain Zen Center https://www.smzc.org/. These organizations are connected to two of Deb’s close friends and represent her life of striving for both fitness—and peace.