Deborah Gooch

Deborah Gooch, born September 28,1946 in Reisterstown, Maryland, died in Taos, New Mexico on 4/13/2023. She was preceded in death by her mother Janet Kirby, her Father Carl Kirby and her sister, Carol Kirby.

She is survived by her husband Jim, in Taos, her brother Mark Kirby in Accomack, Virginia and her nephew Jason Pulliam, in Los Angeles. Jim, her family, and friends will forever remember her determination in the antique business, her love for her horses, and for her love of making art and all things beautiful.  Jim and Deb's lives were enrichened by their rescue of many dogs.  In Deb's last days, Parker and her little dog Dodi never left her side.

Deb's love of antiques started with a little shop in Ocean City, Maryland. After moving to Vero Beach, Florida she launched another shop on Royal Palm Blvd. Deb plied her trade traveling from Florida to New England, selling at antique shows stretched along the East Coast. She demonstrated her fierce independence again and again, once by towing a trailer full of antiques to Nashville through a perilous ice storm to do a show herself!

Deb was one of the original promoters of the Antique Show at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. It was a well respected show and extremely successful under her direction.

Her passion for horses led Deb and Jim through an adventure lasting 24 wonderful years at their Winter Beach Farm. Together they built a thriving business boarding horses, achieving success because of her attention to detail, and deep respect for these magnificent animals that she dearly loved. The hearts she touched and the memories that live on through countless friends are, for Deborah, life eternal.

Deb's amazing gift for art has been another driving force in her life. From the early days at Maryland Institute College of Art, to her small studio on the farm, to teaching at both The Museum of Art and her Studio on 7th Ave in Vero Beach, Florida. She was also a primary supporter of Gallery 14 when it originally opened on 14th Avenue. Deb impacted lives, inspiring others with her fun, creative works. There are many grateful students who cannot say enough about her generosity and talent.

She continued to paint in her studio after moving to New Mexico and was selected as a featured artist for the Taos Art Studio Tour in 2021. She grew particularly fond of watching and painting ravens, a bird as smart and curious as herself. Deb was delighted to reside amid the thriving community of artists in Northern New Mexico. For her, the spiritual satisfaction of living in Taos was like a religion. She loved finding and wearing unique turquoise jewelry, the beauty of the mountains, the high desert, and its fickle weather. Her captivating smile will be forever missed.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home, Taos.  To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com