Deanna June Niebuhr June 20, 1966 - February 28, 2026

Deanna Niebuhr 

June 20, 1966 – February 28, 2026

During the celestial parade of planets which took place on Saturday, February 28, 2026, the heavens gained a new star. Deanna Niebuhr, age 59, of Berkeley, California, died peacefully with her family and friends at her side in her hometown of Turlock, California.

Deanna was born in Turlock, California, to Will and DeLaine Niebuhr. Along with her brothers, Philip and Matt, her early childhood began at their home on El Camino Drive, surrounded by wonderful neighbors and the community of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where her parents’ deep, abiding faith was a central part of their lives. She was baptized on July 3, 1966, and confirmed in the Lutheran faith on May 4, 1980. Summers were marked by the long drive back to Iowa for family reunions that cemented her close relationships with extended family. Her strong academic foundation was forged at Julien Elementary, Turlock Junior High, and as salutatorian of her graduating class at Turlock High School, where she accumulated lifelong friends and, according to her teachers, was a delight to have in class.

She left Turlock to attend college in Berkeley and established her permanent home there, creating a second family with her cherished friends and neighbors, her cat, Venus, and dog, Daisy. For the last 31 years, she lived in a charming cottage that became the hub of the neighborhood. Deanna was the kind of hostess who would invite 40 to a solstice-themed house party, and be delighted when over 100 showed up to party until the wee hours of the morning.  It was then that her investment in establishing close neighborly friendships began to really come in handy.  

Deanna faithfully showed up for nearly every annual Niebuhr family reunion in the Midwest. On one special occasion, she accompanied several cousins and retraced her grandparents’ 1931 honeymoon trip through the Black Hills. She was an adored aunt, lovingly referred to as Aunt Banana, always finding a way to create close connections, remembering birthdays and other special occasions, and planning travel-related adventures together. Her status as the trailblazing, first major-metropolitan resident in the family inspired a generation of cousins and loved ones to pursue their own dreams of leaving a small farm town for the bright lights of the city. She had an incredible knack for making each and every family member feel like the most important person in the room. Her wisdom, easy laugh and passionate perspectives are already sorely missed by her many next-gen family admirers.

Deanna earned a full ride scholarship to pursue her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. She combined intellectual rigor with practical wisdom, always grounding her policy work in lived experience and the voices of students and families.

Anyone who knew Deanna knew her love of animals and nature. She found deep joy and comfort in the natural world. She loved animals with a quiet tenderness and delighted in time spent outdoors. She was an avid traveler, drawn not only to new places and cultures but also to rare and wondrous moments, including journeys made simply to stand in awe beneath the path of a total solar eclipse. Those who traveled with her remember the way she approached the world with curiosity, reverence, and gratitude. Her time on this earth was far too short for the many adventures she and her friends still had planned, yet the memories they created together under open skies and along sandy shores remain a lasting testament to her expansive spirit and love of life.

Deanna’s deep friendships defined her life as surely as her work did. She built community everywhere she went, drawing people together with her warmth, integrity, and fierce commitment to social justice. Her friends were her chosen companions in advocacy, travel, laughter, and long conversations about how to build a more just and loving world. She showed up for the people she loved with loyalty and generosity, celebrating their joys and supporting them in moments of struggle. The bonds she nurtured over decades were rooted in shared purpose and deep affection, and they remain one of the most enduring expressions of her extraordinary life.

An educator and school administrator, practitioner, community organizer, and policy advocate, she spent her entire career advancing student-centered, asset-based education rooted in strong relationships and vibrant school culture. Her work consistently bridged practice and policy, ensuring that the systems surrounding children reflected their strengths and honored their potential.

At the time of her passing, she served as Policy Director for the California Schools Learning Exchange (CSLX), where she championed the transformative power of community schools and cross-sector collaboration. In this role, she worked alongside a statewide network of student service providers, teacher organizations, afterschool providers, early childhood educators, county offices of education, special education advocates, literacy specialists, continuous improvement facilitators, and family and youth organizers. Deanna was deeply respected by colleagues who worked closely with her and who are devastated by this loss; they admired not only her policy expertise and strategic clarity but also her humility, steadiness, and commitment to children and families.

Throughout her career, Deanna was greatly respected for her vision, collaborative spirit, and firmly held belief that schools can be anchors of opportunity and belonging. Her legacy lives on in the countless educators, policymakers, and community leaders she mentored, and in the schools and systems that continue to center students and families because of her work. She will be remembered for her deep compassion, her advocacy, and her commitment to building communities where every child can thrive.

Deanna leaves behind so many who will feel her absence deeply. She is lovingly survived by her parents, Will and DeLaine Niebuhr and her brothers, Phil (Tricia) Niebuhr, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Matt (Sharon) Niebuhr, of Dallas, Texas.

She was a devoted aunt to niece Megan (Adam) Hyman, of Dallas, Texas, their children Joseph and Evelyn; nephews Eric Niebuhr of Chicago, Illinois and Brian Niebuhr of Detroit, Michigan; and nieces Madison and Nina Niebuhr of Dallas, Texas.

She is further survived by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, many of whom were exceptionally close and held a special place in her heart. She was a warm, beautiful, and intelligent person who cultivated joy, wonder, and adventure in all her endeavors. Her life was a testament to generosity, curiosity, and the powerful ways one person can shape a community. 

In lieu of flowers, her loved ones suggest a contribution to the Deanna Niebuhr Memorial Fund of the Southwest Community Foundation, via this link:  Deanna Niebuhr Memorial Fund . Donations will be sent toward non profit organizations that align with her values, such as ovarian cancer research, care for children and animals, social justice efforts, and education. We encourage all to honor her life with courage in the pursuit of justice and equity, deep care for community, and a loving care for animals and children.

Though her absence leaves an ache that words cannot fully hold, her spirit endures in the lives she touched, the work she championed, and the love she gave so freely. May we honor her memory by carrying forward her commitment to justice, her delight in the natural world, and her genuine belief in the goodness of people.

Visitation 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at Allen’s Mortuary 247 North Broadway, Turlock, California

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Allen’s Mortuary 247 North Broadway, Turlock, California. A livestream link of the funeral can be viewed from this link:  >  viewlogies.net  <

Gravesite Burial will follow the funeral at Turlock Memorial 575 North Soderquist Road, Turlock, California

A dinner reception will follow at the Jenkin family home in Turlock.