David Buck

David Charles Buck was born June 5th, 1944, at Fox Hospital in Oneonta, New York, at 5 a.m. to Lillian Reichard and Donald Buck. David passed peacefully in his sleep, with a smile on his face, during the night of July 17th, 2025.

Dave grew up in Franklin, New York.

He attended Delaware Literary Institute & Franklin Central School for his entire lower grades. His mother was a third grade teacher there. He even had college classes in high school. He used to get his work done really fast, and he and another guy would go down and play table tennis. So he ended up in the principal's office. And his Mom caught him there. He spent the summers haying on his grandparents' Buck's farm with his cousin Eugene Buck in Davenport, NY. Part of that time they also spent with their Uncle Bob.

He went on to attend Michigan Technological University and received a Bachelor's of Science in Foresty. After graduation, he moved to CoosBay, Oregon, to join the Bureau of Land Management. It was there that he met Margaret Dibble. They married, moved to Eugene, Oregon, and had two children; Jennifer R Buck (Moss) and Daniel W Buck.

He fought forest fires & walked miles and miles of woods doing tree surveys during his time with the BLM. He loved being in the forest. He cared deeply about the natural environment, which eventually led to his separation from the Bureau of Land Management. He helped write certain rules for private timber management and believed that thinning vs. clearcutting was the better solution. He went on to sell timber industry tools and became involved in the creation of new handheld technologies used for tree surveying that are still in use today. He spent many years traveling and doing trade shows all over the US.

He and Margaret eventually divorced. He became frustrated with the workaday world and spent many years trying to figure out how to make money with less work. He met Patricia Franklin, and they lived together as partners. He cared for her for many years until he needed heart surgery, and she passed away.

Dave loved to fish. He tied his own flies. He loved to take his family camping and take his row boat out on the lake. He was a ham radio operator and built his own radio. He collected rocks, especially "thunder eggs," which he loved to find on his many walks in the forest. He liked to golf and bowl. He was in a band and the glee club in his younger years. He collected belt buckles from all over. He also liked to collect coins. He had so many interests. He loved Star Trek as well as Star Wars and James Bond movies. His appetite for food was legend. He loved strawberry rhubarb pie. He had many, many stories from his life adventures and would happily regail you with them. He was fiercely independent and stubborn. He had a good heart. He was loved.

He is survived by his daughter Jennifer, son Daniel, granddaughters Katelynn (Moss) Gates, Britteny Moss, and Cassidy Moss, and great-grandchildren Jaxson Hendrickson, Skyler Weston, Annabelle Weston, Gage Weston, Lilith Moss, and Brooklyn Haaby. He loved and adored his children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren.

"I did everything I wanted to, and I am happy with that."- Dave Buck

"When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm

Is a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on

With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone. "

Rodgers & Hammerstein 1945