Deborah Hartelius Cenci passed away peacefully on April 12, 2025, just one day before her 75th birthday, in her adopted hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was an innovative, independently thinking nonconformist who was always set on forging her own path.
Deb was born April 13, 1950, in Markham, Illinois and graduated with lots of flower power from Bremen High School in 1968. In the Chicago area, she married her first husband, Vern Nelson, in 1971 and soon after relocated to Princeton Junction, New Jersey, and then Lansdale, Pennsylvania. She married her second husband, Robert Cenci, in 1983 and relocated to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Upon retirement in 2012, she relocated to Colorado Springs because her soul felt most at home in the mountains.
She loved art and was skilled in many artistic media including ceramics, painting, pastels, charcoal, pencil, and photography – some of her favorite photos can be viewed on her Instagram at @dhcenci. She was a talented cook and baker, and could replicate a recipe after just a taste. Nicknamed “Deborah Abbondanza” by her late husband, she tended to make enough food to feed an army. Another passion of hers was reading. As a voracious bibliophile, she was especially drawn to science fiction and fantasy novels. Among her favorite pastimes was playing card games, and she always played to win.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother who loved to share her love of art, cooking, baking, and reading with her children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. She encouraged keeping an open mind, reading banned books, exploring creative expressions, thinking independently, and standing up for one’s principles. Most of all, she shared unconditional love.
In her professional life she built a career as a tech-savvy copywriter, editor, and graphic designer in the advertising industry. She worked at the forefront in the frontiers of web development and was among the first to create online catalogues and commercial websites.
Later in life, she was quite proud to have been a rare survivor of a brainstem stroke, and endured many medical complications through her life that led her to become fascinated with the innovations of modern medicine. She was a persistent and stubborn survivor.
She is survived by her son, Hjal Nelson; daughter, Allysha Nelson Lorber, and son-in-law Brian Lorber; granddaughters, Kalmia Lorber and Abigail Lorber; sister, Mellody Reaves; brother, Mark Hartelius; and their families. Her niece, Jennifer Booker; grandnephew, Davis “Trae” Booker; grandniece, Katherine “Kate” Booker; and her in-law Cenci family members also had a special place in her heart. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Cenci, and her parents, Marshall Hartelius and Phyllis “Elaine” Hartelius (nee Miller). She was loved dearly by all who knew her, especially her helpers and friends in Colorado Springs and colleagues she worked with in the Philadelphia area.
She will be remembered fondly by all who knew and loved her. Family and friends can remember her when you see a beautiful mountain range, a colorful sunset, or a beautiful flower. If you see bright colors of purple and turquois, it just might be her sending love back to you. If you care to make a donation in memory of her spirit, she was supportive of the work led by the Salvation Army, Planned Parenthood, and the Bristol Foundation.