Ed. — From the Sunday, Aug. 13, print edition.
BACK BAY — Donna M. Vaughan was a mentor to generations of local children through her work with Virginia Beach 4-H. She served her community as a municipal employee and a volunteer. And she was always surrounded by family, friends and animals.
“She taught us to give with your whole heart,” said Robert Vaughan, a local farmer and one of her three sons, “and always finish what you start.”
Donna Vaughan died in her home on Vaughan Road on Tuesday, Aug. 1, after a short illness, according to her family. She was 76.
Vaughan was born on April 7, 1947, in Auburn, New York. She was the oldest of 10 children, and Robert Vaughan thinks that she learned responsibility from helping care for her younger brothers and sisters.
She moved with her family to Princess Anne County as a child and graduated from Princess Anne High School. As a student, she was active in 4-H, and she became a leader after her high school graduation and was inducted into the 4-H All Stars.
Vaughan had three children, Robert Vaughan, William Vaughan and James Vaughan, with her husband, whom she later divorced. Her children were active in 4-H, and she continued to serve as a leader of the livestock club and worked for many years as chairperson of its yearly show.
Jenny McPherson, rural community coordinator for the city agriculture department, remembers the last time that Vaughan handed out ribbons during the livestock show. It was in June, just before she became ill.
“She definitely had a passion for the kids,” McPherson said, “and wanted to afford them the opportunity of raising animals, and having the comradery of 4-H.”
Kirby Malbone, who worked with Vaughan in the youth development program, said, “4-H is all about teaching you responsibility, and she was in it to help the kids. She was a very kind person and a genuine soul, and she was 100 percent about the community.”
Donna Vaughan also volunteered at events with the Creeds Ruritan Club and Virginia Beach Farm Bureau. She was an active member of Charity United Methodist Church in Pungo, where she taught Sunday school for more than 30 years.
Vaughan retired from the Virginia Beach Finance Department, where she worked for over 40 years, earning the city manager’s award for excellent performance in 2003. She served on the volunteer committee behind the Pungo Strawberry Festival and also served twice as the festival’s honorary “Witch of Pungo.” She was recognized as Woman of the Year in Agriculture in 1993 and as a Friend of Agriculture in 2001 by the Virginia Beach Excellence in Agriculture Committee.
She was unphased when things didn’t go exactly according to plan, according to Kevin Newton, who worked with her to coordinate the livestock show. He remembers once when she was handing out ribbons at the show and a maverick pig broke loose, ran across the ring and knocked her down.
“She got right back up and finished handing out the ribbons,” Newton said.
Vaughan raised dogs, hogs, turkeys and chickens, and she always kept cats around the house. In addition to her sons, she cared for a niece, Sarah Myers, and she also hosted young people as part of the International Youth Exchange Program. Her sons remember that they had students from Japan, New Zealand and several European countries over the years.
“She was like a second mom to everyone,” Robert Vaughan said. Her home was a kind of hang-out for family members and neighborhood kids.
“This was the gathering house,” James Vaughan said.
Donna Vaughan also was well known for her good food, including her sourdough rolls, and she left her recipe and starter dough as a legacy for her family members.
She was known as “Mee-Maw” to her grandchildren, and, after she became ill, they continued to visit daily and could bring a smile to her face, her family members said.
Vaughan is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Jennifer Vaughan, William and Bernadette Vaughan, and James and Bethany Vaughan, all of Virginia Beach, as well as by Sarah Myers of Charlottesville. Among many loved ones, she also is survived by nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
As this edition of The Independent News went to press on Thursday, Aug. 10, a celebration of life was scheduled to be held at Charity United Methodist Church on Saturday, August 12.
Her family asked that memorial donations be mailed to the Virginia Beach 4-H Livestock Club via PO Box 7126, Virginia Beach VA 23457.
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