We are sad to report that KPCW has lost one of our most devoted listeners. Donna VanBuren passed away early Wednesday morning. She gave so much not only to KPCW, but also to the Park City Community.
The name Donna Vanburen is likely familiar to anyone who considers themselves a Park City “local.” Vanburen arrived in town in the seventies, A Texan, she had graduated from BYU. Vanburen ran a property management company, Greater Park City properties, for years. Her friend Linda McReynolds said Vanburen managed homeowners associations, was well-respected, and fun. Vanburen was also a Park City Rotary member. Another friend of hers, Bob Richer, remembers her as someone who gave back to her community.
“She was a long-time member of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission,” Richer said. “She was very much involved in the initial plannings and various iterations concerning the Canyons resort and the Canyons development. She was on the very first Citizens Open Space Advisory Committee, COSAC. She was a great lover and champion of Open Space.”
Richer is the Chairperson of KPCW’s Board of Trustees. He remembers when Vanburen was also on the board. She clearly loved the station, making continuous donations during pledge drives and constantly calling in music requests to the Volunteer DJs. She was their biggest fan. Just this past Monday, she sent the station a request – asking programmers to add “Pancho and Lefty” by Townes Van Zandt to the station’s playlist.
Those who call Park City home well into the future will not only hear Donna Vanburen’s love for music through KPCW’s airwaves, they will also get to enjoy the result of her hard work for the community she lovingly cared for.
“Boy will she be missed by all of us who knew her,” Richer continued “She will also be missed because she did so much for others in the community who had no idea that the reason that some of these good things exist is because of the hard work that Donna Vanburen and others put into various aspects of those things that make our community what it is today.”
Donna Vanburen leaves behind her husband, Fred Woods.
