Donya Van Buren

Donya Van Buren died peacefully in Greenport on Aug. 19, 2025, holding the hand of her eldest daughter, Diana. She was 96.

Donya was born Diana Theodora Carpluk to Ukrainian immigrants, Mary (Haynish) and William Carpluk in Islip, N.Y. She graduated from Babylon High School in 1948 and three years later married her classmate, Edgar Van Buren. They raised their two daughters in Smithtown where they resided until 1988 when they moved to Cutchogue. Donya and Ed divorced in 2005 after 54 years of marriage; Ed died three years later.

Donya had a variety of jobs, including as a physician’s receptionist, a secretary for the United Methodist Church of Smithtown, and, during the final years of her professional life, overseeing the budget process for the Smithtown Central School District where she worked for 17 years. During her time in Smithtown, she was also active in the Episcopal church, served as a Girl Scout leader, and volunteered for Head Start.

Donya took action to promote social justice on the North Fork and was particularly concerned about racism. After she moved to Cutchogue, and then Greenport in 2005, she became a member of the Unitarian Universalist congregation, served on the Board of Directors for CAST, and was one of the early members of Women in Conversation and the Southold Anti-Bias Task Force.

Reading was one of Donya’s great pleasures, and she was halfway through the 736-page novel The Covenant of Water when she died. She also enjoyed gardening, cooking, needlework, and dogs, especially her border terrier, Harry.

Donya was predeceased by her beloved brothers, William, Howard and Theodore. She is survived by her daughters, Diana Van Buren (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Mary Van Buren and her husband Dimitris Stevis; two grandchildren Maria and Michael Van Buren-Stevis (all of Fort Collins, Colo.), and sister-in-law Eileen Carpluk (Southold).

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist building, 51900 Main Rd Southold, New York at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the PBS Foundation: supportpbsfoundation.pbs.org