Deborah "Debi" Agganis Ballas

Mrs. Deborah "Debi" Agganis Ballas, 68, beloved wife of Charles "Chuck" Ballas, Jr., entered into rest on October 4, 2021.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 8, 2021 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church with Father Vasile Bitere officiating. Interment to follow at Westover Memorial Park.

While Debi spent most of her childhood in Lynn Massachusetts, many do not know she was born in Hollywood California. An accomplished vocalist, Debi began her vocal training as a young girl in Boston Massachusetts and later majored in musical theater at Marymount College in Boca Raton, Florida. After meeting her husband Chuck Ballas Jr. during a Greek convention in Miami Beach where she was singing, and marrying him four months later, she moved to Augusta GA. Debi continued her career in music as she performed as a soloist in local venues and as lead singer with various local bands, most notably the band Vanilla.
After moving to Augusta, Debi became actively involved with the local Greek Orthodox church, Holy Trinity, where she made many lifelong friendships. She became an active church member as she served on the parish council, participated in the ladies’ Philoptochos Society, and also chaired the church’s Greek festival for many years where she helped to grow the festival into a successful fundraiser and one of Augusta’s largest festivals.
Debi worked side by side with Chuck at the family restaurant Luigi’s and they later opened Lil’ Luigi’s, which they ran for over a decade. While working at the restaurant, Debi met and became best friends with Richard Justice who in 1992 encouraged her to audition for the Augusta Players’ production of Gypsy. The rest is history as she performed many roles and went on to become the Executive and Artistic Director for the company, saving it from closing its doors and transforming it into Augusta’s premier musical theater company that produced Broadway caliber productions on the Augusta stage, to include Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and her most beloved A Christmas Carol the Musical, among so many others.
What Debi considered her greatest accomplishment, however, was being an exceptional mother to her three daughters, Penelope Ballas-Stewart, Bebe Ballas Kent, and Claudia Ballas Latch. She adored her three sons-in-law, Matt Stewart, Philip Kent, and Wesley Latch, and considered them her children.
More than anything else in her life she cherished her husband Chuck, her children, grandchildren (Kalli Stewart, Matthew “Mattie” Stewart, Charles “Charlie” Kent, Paul Kent, Deborah Latch, Sebastian Latch, Christina Kent), her brother Harry Agganis, her sister Ellen Matzouranis (Paul), her chosen son Eddie Renew, and her many relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Bessie Agganis, and her brother George Agganis.
Pallbearers will be Andrew Farley, Christopher Farley, Greg Daglis, Peter Madias, Dave Bellmer, and Paul Jones.
Donations may be made in her honor to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church or The Augusta Players.


The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening, October 7, 2021 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM with the Trisagion beginning at 7:15 PM.