From Heike in Austria

First of all – THANKS for the great memorial site for Debra McClinton, and the collection of the pictures. Looking at them makes me feel like I just seen her yesterday…

I met Debbie on the day of my wedding in Raleigh, N.C. in 1996.

My ex-husband and Tony have been good friends and one day my ex told me Debbie – Tony’s girlfriend — will take the pictures at our wedding. It was ok with me – one thing less to worry about. On the day of the wedding I drove by her house in Raleigh just to make sure that everything is ok – she was quite surprised. My husband did ask her once but never mentioned anything again so she didn’t take him serious and had no plans to take pictures at our wedding today – of course she got everything together and came to the wedding. The pictures turned out wonderful.

I remember her always saying my name wrong – calling my name out loud and wrong, but I loved the way she called me Heikaaaa (not Heike) but that was ok, that was Debbie.

Anyway, one day she called and asked if we want to join them at her parents’ lake house in Asheville and we had the honour to spend a night in her mom’s wonderful house in the mountains as well as a few days at the lake house. She showed us the spot where the “lift up in the water” in the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed.
It was an unforgettable weekend… she told me stories about being with another friend the photographer at Charlie Sheen’s wedding, about the rides back and forth to CA with her little white jeep….. We also visited here & Tony in San Francisco in the huge loft apartment.

I remember her pretty eyes and her big smile. She was a very pretty person with a unique fashion style. I always admired her work and dreamed of being a photographer just like her….

I LOVE her homepage, I take a look at her pictures online quite frequently – her prints are wonderful art.

The last time she had send an email was back in July. Thank you Debbie that I had the honour to get to know you and to have many nice memories of you. Thinking of you makes me smiley…and sad…..I am so sorry that you chose this way….I was so looking forward to welcome you and your family here in Austria one day…

You will be missed @-->---

—Heikaaaa – like you always called me ;-)