RIP Deb Jelinek

March 25th, 2019
 
On July 2, 2003 Deb Jelinek finally got to meet her idol, Dan Fogelberg, backstage after a concert. Thirty minutes to hang out with the man she had dedicated her life to honoring may not sound like much, but it meant the world to her.
 
In the early days of the web Deb had a website, thelivinglegacy.net. When we needed a place to post information on the web, Dan and I decided to give that information to Deb, because she didn't have a gossipy forum on her site like some of the other sites. Eventually I learned website design and Dan and I created danfogelberg.com. By then, Deb and I had become friends and stayed in touch - we were both self-taught website designers and often shared programming problems and solutions, and Deb sent out our joint newsletters.
 
When Dan was diagnosed with cancer, Deb collected well-wishes from thousands of fans on her website, printed them in a huge album, and sent them to Dan, which was a great comfort to him. After Dan died, Deb had an idea to bring fans together to celebrate him in Peoria and from that idea the memorial site, a foundation, and many good friendships evolved.
 
Deb passed away today from complications from pulmonary edema. Her wonderful husband Jon kept her friends informed from the day she was taken to the hospital ten days ago and our thoughts are with him now, during this most shocking and painful time.
 
Rest in peace, Deb.
 
~ Jean Fogelberg