John Buckmaster Obituary

John Walton Buckmaster, age 94, a 53 year resident of Downers Grove, IL passed away on November 29, 2010 in Wichita Falls, TX where he had been living the past three years. He was born on October 1, 1916 in Atchison, Kansas to Walton Lockwood Buckmaster and Carrie Bunn Buckmaster and was raised in Topeka, Kansas. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and attended Kansas State University studying electrical engineering. He worked for Western Electric in Kansas City and Chicago for over 40 years, retiring in 1978. He was also an accomplished baritone soloist in both sacred and secular music and sang in Kansas City, at the United Methodist and Congregational Churches in Downers Grove, and also the Chicago Temple. He was active in Boy Scouts having achieved Eagle Scout rank and served as Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 3 in Downers Grove. He and his wife Bernice were also active with the Farm Club in Burr Ridge, IL and involved in the startup of the Ray Graham Association for individuals with disabilities. In addition, he served as Treasurer for the United Way. He was also very active in sports having competed in the Texas Relays in his college years, became accomplished as a fast pitch softball player, having struck out 15 of 18 players in a game in a Chicago area competition, and also registered well over forty five thousand miles riding his bicycle from his youth well into his adulthood. In addition to his parents and two sisters, he was predeceased by his wife, Sylvia Bernice Buckmaster, to whom he was married for 60 years, and his son, Cary Walton Buckmaster. He is survived by five children, Claudia Marple and her husband Mel of Douglassville, PA, Donna Webb and her husband Bruce of Steilacoom, WA, Steve Buckmaster and his wife Claudia of Wichita Falls, TX, Mary Buckmaster and her husband Kevin Smith of Lenexa, KS, and Mike Buckmaster and his wife Kim of Lakeside City, TX. He also had thirteen grandchildren, twenty-four great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren. Services will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Downers Grove on Saturday, December 18th at 1:00 PM. His ashes will be buried alongside his wife and son in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Downers Grove following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Alzheimer's Association, the American Heart Association, the Down's Syndrome Association, the Ray Graham Association, the Special Olympics, or the American Cancer Society.