Deborah Jin, a pioneer in modern atomic and molecular physics, passed away on September 15, 2016, at age 47, after a courageous fight with cancer. She was a world renowned scientist at JILA (formerly known as the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics) in Boulder, Colorado, a joint institute of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado. Her research field was the world of atoms and molecules and their quantum mechanical behavior at temperatures close to absolute zero. Although she was a pioneer in her field, Jin was also humble and modest. She was a role model to many physicists worldwide through her enthusiastic and methodical approach to science.