Letter to the Editor: Remembering the life of Pam Vaughn

The city of Mountain Brook Public Works Director Ronnie Vaughn’s wife of 39 years, Pam Vaughn, passed away on Aug. 19, 2018. Mrs. Vaughn was Mr. Vaughn’s biggest fan, cheerleader, and sometimes even his critic. 

“Pam considered herself the self-appointed first lady of Mountain Brook Public Works,” Mr. Vaughn said. “Heavy emphasis on self-appointed. Although not an official post, it’s a role she took very seriously.”

Gardendale residents for many years, Ronnie and Pam Vaughn made Mountain Brook their adopted second home Oct. 24, 2011, when Mr. Vaughn joined the city’s Public Works team. The city quickly became their home-away-from-home. 

“The city embraced us with open arms, and she certainly hugged right back,” Mr. Vaughn said. “But, that’s just who she was.”

For seven years, he and his wife navigated the streets of Mountain Brook on nights, weekends and holidays, evaluating city projects and ensuring the streets of the community were safe. Whether it was stopping in for a meal or treat at one of the village restaurants or riding after church on Sundays to check out the beautiful spring flowers or the changing of the leaves in the fall, she loved the beauty of the city. 

Her favorite tradition was visiting Oak Street Gardens the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving with her family to select the perfect Christmas tree for her house and the grandkids’ house. Owner Billy Angell was her hero for the perfect tree, and Mr. Vaughn’s hero for the delivery and setup of the perfect tree. 

The Vaughns devoted their lives to service personally and professionally. That commitment to serving others was strengthened by tragedy when their 18-year-old daughter Heather died in an automobile accident in 2002. 

“A tragedy tends to define people,” said longtime friend Kathy Briscoe, “but the Vaughns refused to let a single event determine their fate. In fact, that event, which would have unraveled many, brought additional perspective and purpose to both of their lives.”

Mrs. Vaughn, who was raised in Republic, Alabama, never missed an opportunity to assist where there was a need. She especially enjoyed supporting the city employees who work hard behind the scenes and was often spotted distributing water or sports drinks to refuse collectors, mail deliverers or others working in her community.

Mrs. Vaughn retired from Jack Henry Banking as a systems analyst when their son Heath and daughter-in-law Ashley had their first granddaughter, Allie Kate. When God blessed the family with three additional grandchildren — Ava Grace, Hudson and Mason — Mrs. Vaughn was proud to say she was a full-time grandmother (Gran).

“She was married to Public Works,” Mr. Vaughn said, “and she had a keen eye when it came to evaluating a project or situation related to Public Works. She could tell you when something wasn’t done right. It didn’t matter if we were in Mountain Brook, another state or even at home. She would let you know. That could be especially tough at home.”

Their lifelong devotion to public works has gone well beyond traditional projects. A 34-year veteran of the City of Birmingham Public Works, Mr. Vaughn worked through events like the blizzard of 1993 and the 2011 EF4 tornado that devastated parts of Birmingham.

“As a family, we’ve experienced our own personal tragedies, but responding to events like that change your perspective,” Mr. Vaughn said. “Anyone that devotes themselves to public works understands your life and your job is about the community, but more importantly, it’s about the people. Mrs. Vaughn certainly understood that. She loved people.”