A Beacon of Light and Friendship

Honoring a Life Dedicated to Community, Compassion and Making a Difference

When you have a friend like Debby Stanuch, you never think about the fact that they might not be there someday. They are larger than life. We expect them to be in our lives forever, and perhaps they are. Friends like Debby show up when you need them. They make you feel good when they are around. They make a difference in the lives of others.

In Mountain Home, Debby’s bright light shined for the organizations she cared about. Whether it was Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, Baxter Health, Twin Lakes Playhouse, Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, Baxter County Library Foundation or Serenity House, she told our stories with passion and with dignity.

When she spoke, her deep, warm voice filled the room. On stage or in the choir loft, that voice was soulful and euphonious. Whether it was in the Chancel Choir at First United Methodist Church or on the stage with Sweet Adelines or the Melodeers, Debby was someone you couldn’t take your eyes off of. She felt the music deeply in her soul and it showed.

Those of us in marketing knew Debby best as a fair reporter who loved a good, long conversation. It’s what made her such a wonderful host of “Talk of the Town” on KTLO. She had a hunger for learning. She cared. She wanted to help. Always, she wanted to tell our stories and make a difference for our community.

While Debby spent her early life and career in Illinois, you would never know that she hadn’t been here in the Twin Lakes Area forever. She loved this place we call “our Mountain Home” and poured her heart into our local nonprofits. She was best known for her work on the board of the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas, but she also registered people to vote and helped raise money for victims of domestic violence through Serenity, Inc. With every cause or issue she cared about, she worked hard for it. If a dog needed a home, she found it one. If a friend was going through a tough time, she prayed for them. If someone went into the hospital, she made a beautiful prayer shawl for them.

Debby’s impact on our community will be felt for a long time. She made a difference in the lives of those she knew and in the lives of those she didn’t know but felt compassion for. She taught us about giving back, about celebrating the joy of life and about having empathy for those whose lives aren’t joyful. That’s what friends do. That’s what Debby did, and may we remember her example forever.