Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Director passes away

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ROANOKE (WSLS) - The city of Roanoke is mourning the loss of Steve Buschor. The 58-year-old passed away on Monday. He was the Director of Parks and Recreation for Roanoke.

Buschor joined the city Parks and Recreation Department in 2002. Since then, he has played an important role in projects such as expanding the Roanoke Valley Greenway System and renovating Elmwood Park.

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On any given day, you can find people of all ages having fun at Elmwood Park. The multi-million dollar renovations that took place at the facility were something Steve Buschor took pride in.

"Steve embraced change. He really liked to see things get built," said Liz Belcher, Greenway coordinator. "He liked to see new programs. He would look for bigger and better things to do."

Buschor joined the Roanoke City Parks and Recreation department in 2002. City leaders said he played an important role in expanding the Roanoke Valley Greenway and encouraged people to enjoy the outdoors.

"It's great to have a champion who is pushing for outdoor recreation and pushing for new things for the Valley" said Belcher. "He was involved in GoFest, he helped keep "Gallop for the Greenways" going.

In addition to overseeing recreational activities, Buschor spent hours at Elmwood Park. Friends said it was his "baby".

"I remember the first kick-off event when we had Sheryl Crow there. He was just beaming," said Chris Morrill, Roanoke City manager. "You would see him at any event in Elmwood Park because he cared about it. He knew how to program the fountain and make it different colors. He loved everything about it."

Co-workers said Steve was dedicated to providing quality recreational services for adults and children. He also helped attract businesses to the Valley.

"He got the bigger picture of how Parks and Rec. can play in economic development," said Morrill. "He played a big role in getting Deschutes here."

Belcher said Steve embraced change and helped to bring positive changes to Roanoke.

" If you look at how the citizens of Roanoke embrace outdoor recreation now and embrace parks and greenways. Its come a long way in the time Steve has been with us," she said.

Steve was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year. He was 58 years old.

The family will receive friends from 2 – 4 and 5 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, June 9, 2016 at Oakey's South Chapel.  A Funeral Mass will be held 12:00 Noon on Friday, June 10, 2016 at St. Andrews Catholic Church.  A further Celebration of Life will take place at Elmwood Park from 2 – 4 p.m. Friday afternoon.