Rodrick Todd Buckner

Todd was a kind, intelligent, and independent child. He had a strong sense of justice, dressing as Batman, not just for many consecutive Halloweens, but often and for any occasion or destination. He was a boy scout and throughout his life he carried their values with him.

He was relentlessly honest. He was defiant and resolute in standing against injustice and doing what he felt was right.

He had a huge appetite for life, in all its transiency, absurdity, darkness, and potentiality. He delighted in questioning those who had given up trying to find answers and in seeking them himself. But the questioning was never malicious, Todd was an idealist and chronic optimist.

He was frighteningly funny, with the kind of humor that could create instant laughter and thought, that cut to the core of hypocrisy. He was a wit, and he was a philosopher.

His laughter was evocative and luminous. His voice was booming, commanding, and heartwarming all at once.

Todd had a brilliant and analytical mind. He studied pre-med, philosophy, and majored in Political Science at Whittier College.

While attending Whittier College, Todd forever captured the heart of his lifelong partner and love Christina. They lived happily together in Los Angles with their Bengal cat Hendrix. They loved concerts, music festivals, searching through record stores, gardens, hiking, dive bars, fine dining, musicals, ballet, live comedy, museums, art, and most of all each other.

Though he kept his heart guarded and often secreted away, he loved deeply. He loved Christina and always took care of her. He loved his family and his friends. He loved his shepherd mix Rex, and he loved every dog he ever met, and every dog loved him back. He loved animals and would do anything to help any animal.

Todd loved nature. He loved to hike and backpack through the forests of Ohio and along the Appalachian Trail in his youth, and then in the Sequoias, Topanga, and the Santa Monica Mountains. He was an environmentalist, who loved forests and trees.

He loved anime, comic books, science fiction, and stand-up comedy. He loved single malt scotch, Italian wine, and a well-made martini.

Todd loved the Los Angeles Philharmonic and was particularly entranced by the string section. He could frequently be found with Christina at the Hollywood Bowl in the summer and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the winter.

He was preceded in death by his Grandfather Roy Wallace Buckner Jr., his childhood friend Calvin Singleton, and his beloved pets Rex and Murder Cat. He is survived by his partner and love of 13 years Christina, his Grandmother Kathryn Bucker, his mother Autumn, his beloved siblings Janel, William, Dorothy, and Ricky, and so many wonderful friends. He touched so many lives and hearts and he will be so greatly missed.

Todd’s ashes will be returned to his home and eventually to the forest, so that he may live on as a tree.

In honor of Todd’s love of nature and forests, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation towards reforestation via One Tree Planted (onetreeplanted.org), The Nature Conservancy (nature.org), or The Arbor Day Foundation (arborday.org).

“Too weird to live, too rare to die!”