Mimi Stoneburner of KTIP dies
She and her husband owned station
KTIP Radio president and on-air personality Marilyn “Mimi” Stoneburner unexpectedly passed away Monday in Napa, according to the station.
The 69-year-old was always visibly involved in the community. She greeted everyone with a smile, kind words and even a hug.
Word of her passing was still slowly spreading through the community on Thursday. Her husband, Dr. Larry Stoneburner, said Thursday he had not announced her death because he was still making arrangements.
He said a service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Porterville Funeral and Cremation Center at Henderson Avenue and Indiana Street. A reception will be held following the service.
From the time she and her husband of 44 years, became majority owners of KTIP Radio AM1450 in 2000, they immersed themselves in the community serving on various boards, joining service clubs, and volunteering at and attending nearly every social or community event. The Stoneburners were minority owners for four years, working with owners Doug and Sandy Caldwell, who bought the station from Monte Moore.
She sat on the Porterville College Foundation for the past 17 years, serving as board president for a term.
“This caught us all by surprise,” said outgoing Porterville College President Rosa Carlson. “She has been really supportive of the college. We would see her on campus all of the time. She had been wonderful at bringing educators from throughout the area together.
“We will miss her,” she added.
Mrs. Stoneburner was also involved with the Pathways in the Porterville Unified School District, serving as chair of the Digital Design and Communications Pathway at Granite Hills and was a member of the district’s P8 Coalition for three years.
“She often volunteered to be a speaker in our classrooms,” said PUSD Superintendent Ken Gibbs. “She provided internships to our students at the station. She is going to be sorely missed.”
Mrs. Stoneburner was also a supporter of the Porterville Chamber of Commerce, attending and donating to afterhours networking mixers, First Friday Coffee, the Iris Festival and providing feedback or input on business development in the city. She was a past chair of the Chamber board.
“She was a huge supporter of the Chamber,” said Stephanie Cortez, CEO and president of the Porterville Chamber of Commerce. “She knew the value of the Chamber and what we do.”
For more than 10 years, she hosted the hour-long “Body Talk with Mimi Stoneburner” that aired live Saturdays from 2-3 p.m. and replayed on Sundays from 4-5 p.m.
She earned a degree in Health Education from San Diego State University. According to her bio on KTIP’S webpage, she pioneered some of the original anti-smoking education programs for schools throughout San Diego County. She was the creator, writer and producer of the nationally syndicated TV medical segment “You be the Doctor” that featured her husband.
The couple purchased the station after he retired from his medical practice in Bakersfield and they moved to a ranch outside of Springville. They have two adult sons and three grandchildren.
Over the years, KTIP has received numerous accolades including being named Small Business of the Year by the Porterville Chamber of Commerce and Outstanding Business by the City of Porterville.
“She and Larry were always great champions of the city,” said Porterville City Manager John Lollis. “They were always pleasant and certainly involved.”