Dr. Deborah Watanabe, 67, California born resident of Austin, TX passed away unexpectedly on September 11, 2025.  Debbie grew up in Santa Monica, CA.  She graduated from Santa Monica High School, received her Bachelor of Science from California State University, Long Beach, and then obtained her Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Houston, College of Optometry in 1994.  She took pride in being an optometrist, taking care of her patients, and making lifelong friends along the way. She loved her animals, enjoyed traveling, and had a heart of gold. Her infectious laughter, vibrant spirit and fun-loving nature will be missed by her family, many friends and colleagues, and her beloved cat, Kiki.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 11 am at Fukui Mortuary "Chapel of the Garden" 707 E. Temple Street Los Angeles, CA, with Rev. Mark Nakagawa officiating.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Debbie's charities: Divine Canines in Austin Tx ( https://divinecanines.org/donate/ ) and the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, CA ( https://www.janm.org/give ).

Deborah is survived by her aunt, June Watanabe and cousins: Mark, Roy Jr. and Jeanine Yamanaka, Lori (Shuji) Yamada, Donna (Kaysey) Zoriki-Hoover, and further survived by other relatives and close friends. She is predeceased by her father, Hideo Watanabe, and mother, Ruth Kosaka Watanabe.