Kiwanis Club honors community mainstay Don Voss as La Cañadan of the Year
Donald Voss smiles as he is introduced as the 2015 La Cañadan of the Year at the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada at Descanso Gardens on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
In a ceremony held Wednesday at Descanso Gardens, civic leaders, dignitaries and members of the La Cañada’s volunteer community celebrated former City Council member, mayor and city treasurer Don Voss as “2015 La Cañadan of the Year.”
Those in attendance roundly agreed the award — bestowed by the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada upon local residents for outstanding volunteer service and leadership — had found a fitting recipient in a man known as much for his keen intellect, attention to detail and fiscal responsibility as for his fairness, compassion and love of music.
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City Manager Mark Alexander credited the former treasurer with making financial decisions that poised the city to withstand the Great Recession and thrive in the years that followed. He recalled Voss’ transition in 2006 from treasurer and colleague to City Council member and, therefore, boss.
“He was a terrific city treasurer, but how would he be as a City Council member?” he remembered. “In a word, outstanding. In two words, exceptionally outstanding. As a city manager I came to really appreciate Don’s financial foresight and to rely on his extraordinary intuition.”
City manager Mark Alexander, left, speaks about Donald Voss, right, who was named the 2015 La Cañadan of the Year at the Kiwanis Club of La Cañada Award Luncheon at Descanso Gardens on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
In a personal tribute, son Justin Voss shared special memories of his father, including his unwavering commitment serving as primary caregiver for first wife Barbara and his rush to be at his sister’s side when she’d fallen into a coma.
“What I’ve taken away is his sense of duty, not only to one’s family, but to one’s community,” Justin Voss said.
Wife Lynn De Groot Voss, who started dating Voss around the time he joined the City Council in 2006, recalled being impressed by his enthusiasm for and dedication to public service.
“I saw how passionate he was, how involved he was. It was a position that he really enjoyed doing,” she said. “(But) what is most important is he is a devoted family man. He does it with kindness, he does it with integrity and he does it with compassion and a good sense of humor — I’m honored to be his wife.”
Local dignitaries and representatives from elected officials’ offices presented Voss with proclamations and resolutions. Acknowledging the recipient’s municipal tenure, Capt. Bill Song of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station and Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby spoke on his many accomplishments.
Accepting the award, Voss thanked those in attendance and invoked the memory of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout movement, who said in 1937, “Try and leave this world a little better than you found it.”
“This ceremony is a lot less about the recipient than it is about the sustainable annual validation and reminder of the worth of volunteerism and public service, a verification of [Baden-Powell’s] life words,” he said. “I’m deeply appreciative of the opportunity to have served our community.”
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
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