Deborah Van der Lande

1956 - 2023

VAN DER LANDE (CLIFTON), Deborah

Deborah Clifton van der Lande died on May 6, 2023, at the age of 66, in the company of her three children, Heather, Bernard, and Ashley.

Deborah was born to Almonese Brown Clifton and Thomas Woodard Clifton on June 4, 1956, in Syracuse, New York. She was the first of three children, including her sister, Nancy Clifton Kinzer, and her brother, Forrest Bradford Clifton.

Deborah was predeceased by her father, Tom Clifton; her sister, Nancy Kinzer; and her stepfather, Ralph Williams. She is survived by her children, Heather van der Lande Cummings (Andrew), Bernard Anton van der Lande (Rachel), and Ashley van der Lande; her grandchildren, Bernard William van der Lande, Mady van der Lande and Ethan Cummings; as well as her mother, Almonese (Nesie) Clifton Williams; sibling, Brad Clifton (Carolyn); stepsiblings, Ralph Williams III (Mary), Nancy Jane Morizio (Michael), John Williams (Susan); and her nieces and nephews: Emily Kinzer, Ben Kinzer, Billie Clifton, Thomas Clifton, and Morgan Williams; as well as the father of her children, Bernard Jan van der Lande.

Deborah attended the Lovett School in Atlanta. She briefly attended Mary Baldwin College and graduated from the University of the South with a degree in economics. Though academically gifted and working in finance, she subsequently embraced motherhood with a strength and depth that would define her life, sense of faith, and myriad of meaningful relationships. Deborah was kind, compassionate, patient, accepting and always prepared to listen.

Those who took time to know her will remember the sense of stillness and peace that prevailed through her days, as well as the warmth, compassion, and coziness that she provided for others. She was perpetually learning, completing the Education for Ministry program many years ago, and then the First Mindfulness Training (appropriately, on Openness) of Mahayana Buddhism more recently. Deborah was a beloved member of countless communities, including Emory University's Candler School of Theology, where many of her colleagues became close friends. Lavender, fields of daffodils, and the coast of Maine were always close to her heart.

Deborah will be very missed. Her Memorial Service will be held on Friday, May 12, at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Atlanta, at 11:00 AM. All who knew and loved Deborah are welcome; her service aims to be as inclusive as she was. In lieu of flowers, Deborah's children request that - for those who wish - donations be made to Emory University's Candler School of Theology or to St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church.