DEBORAH L. SOLYAN

1961 - 2024

DEBORAH L. SOLYAN, age 62, beloved wife of Julieanne Turnley; cherished daughter of Dorothy (nee Garvin) and the late Paul Solyan of Pittsburgh; sister of Linda J. Dengler (Robert) and Steven A. Solyan; loving aunt of Zachary and Ashley Dengler and Patrick Turnley; daughter-in-law of Shirley Turnley; and dear friend of many.  Proud graduate of John Carroll University.  Passed away May 24, 2024 from pancreatic cancer.  All Services Friday, May 31, West Park United Church of Christ (3909 Rocky River Dr., Cleveland 44111) at 10 A.M.  Private interment Lake View Cemetery.  Friends may call at CHAMBERS FUNERAL HOME of CLEVELAND, 4420 ROCKY RIVER DR. AT PURITAS, THURSDAY 3-7 P.M.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Arbor Day Foundation www.arborday.org, Hospice of the Western Reserve www.hospicewr.org or West Park United Church of Christ.

 In honor of Deb, those attending the funeral service are encouraged to wear bright colors and sneakers/tennis shoes.

Deb’s Funeral Service will be broadcast live on the West Park United Church of Christ website.

To access the livestream for the Celebration of the Life of Debroah Solyan, please CLICK HERE

When you click on the link, you will be taken to the livestream webpage of West Park United Church of Christ.  You may access the livestream of the funeral worship by pressing the "play" button. The livestream will begin at 9:45am.  

 

Known for her easy and infectious laugh, it was not uncommon for people to hear Deb's laugh before actually meeting her face to face. Deb's superpower was making connections with people through sports, music, school, church, work, travel, hobbies, and not-so-random encounters.  

 

At North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, she was the catcher for the softball team in addition to playing clarinet for the orchestra and marching band. At John Carroll, Deb "excelled" in swimming, "racing" for the inaugural swim team finishing last in every race in which she competed, though loving every minute of it. And, of course, she played golf her entire life and served as President (and nearly every other office) for her Executive Women's Golf League. Even after Deb was sick and couldn't golf, she still rode the course in the golf cart to be with her friends.

 

While known mostly for her fun loving ways, Deb was a very hard worker. Whether it was a heavy pour when bartending at the JCU Rat Bar in college or when she crisscrossed the country as a server for TGIFridays, Deb's commitment to customer-focused dedication continued as she moved into sales with the Penny Saver then phone and internet service for LCI and Qwest, freight for Allstates World Cargo, and Supplemental Insurance for Aflac.

 

Deb's hobbies were as varied as her interests. From the traditional -- stamp, coin, and baseball card collecting to the more eclectic -- including board games, geocaching, travel, poetry, jigsaw puzzles, and travel. Lots of travel.

 

Back to poems. Friends, family, customers, neighbors, church members and pretty much anyone who she thought needed a little love or laughter in their day may have received a custom, heart-felt poem in one of Deb's Iambic Chick cards. She always remembered your birthday and sent you a personalized card -- every year. In the most thoughtful way, she also remembered the birthdays of your family members.

 

Most important to Deb was doing good and living a positive life. She collected favorite charities the way she collected favorite friends, being moved to give to organizations that supported the rights of women, the care of animals and the environment, elevating social justice, and the eradication of hunger, poverty, and disease to name a few.

 

The awards and honors that she received were many, but there were two of which she was most proud:  The Rev. William Bichl, S.J. Alumni Volunteer Service Award in 2023 and the honor of being named the Poet Laureate of West Park United Church of Christ in 2024.

 

Please join us in celebrating Deb and a life well-lived.