William Houston Buck, aka Uncle Buck, Mr. Buck, Coach, Papa, Pops, Bullett, Billy, Buh, Pappy, “Wild Man”... or as he liked to say sometimes… “mi llamo Guillermo”, died peacefully in the comfort of his home surrounded by family on March 13th, 2023 at the age of 71. He is gone from our sight and lives on in each of us. Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years, Anne (Larson) Buck, children Andrew Buck, Abigail Houston (Mike), David Buck (Tianna), grandchildren: Dorothy, Violet, Cora, Emmett and Kailia. Bill is also survived by his siblings Nancy Giesen (Jack), Perry Buck (Catherine), Peter Buck (Julie) and Aunt Lyn Houston. Bill was loved by his extended family including his in-laws, 6 brothers-in-law and their wives, and 23 nieces and nephews.
Bill was born in Seattle, Washington on September 24th, 1951 to Ralph Joy Buck and Dorothy Eleanor Buck (Houston). He spent his early years in Illinois, Indiana and Virginia, moving to Portland in 1962. Bill attended Fernwood Middle School and Grant High school (class of 1969) in Portland OR. Bill graduated from the University of Oregon in Political Science in 1973. (Go Ducks!) He attended Fuller Seminary, Cal State Los Angeles and Capernwray Bible School in Carnforth, England. He received his Masters degree in Education from Portland State University.
Bill taught and coached at San Gabriel Christian school in California and at North Clackamas Christian Schools before beginning a career at Portland Christian Schools. As Principal of Portland Christian Elementary he was committed to providing a safe and fun environment for all children to learn and grow. Bill was known for sharing the phrase “God is good ALL the time and ALL the time God is good.” with his staff and student body. He was known to share red vine licorice on the playground, postcards and Bucks Bucks with kids and family.
Bill loved to create community. He cherished his wife and children. His greatest joy was his grandchildren. He reached out with phone calls to check in with people. He was committed to developing lifelong relationships with his friends. During his life he knit together friends and family from different walks of life through his active involvement in the community: coaching his kids youth sports teams, participating as an active member of his church and volunteering at the Dougy Center and facilitating a group for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention .
Bill could recite ornate sports statistics that baffled all of us. He loved his Oregon Ducks, the Chicago Cubs and the Portland Trail Blazers. He frequently took TriMet Bus 75 to run errands and visit his grandchildren across town. He was a regular at the Hollywood Library among other drop-in locations in the neighborhood. It was not uncommon for Anne and the kids to hear “Hey, I just saw your dad at McDonalds or walking down the street in the neighborhood!”
Bill was an active observer and listener of others' experiences. As his sight and mobility declined in later years Bill thrived on the stories and adventures of others asking about trips, adventures, and pursuits of all kinds. He genuinely wanted to know each and everyone of you. When he talked with people, he remembered. He remembered your accomplishments, your family, the sports you loved and the things that you did. He listened to you as if you were the only person there and he knew how to ask random questions and make random statements. He loved audio books. He loved listening to sporting matches. He loved Alexa. Bill loved his weekly visits from his loyal friends John and Charlie.
Bill’s faith in God, his sense of humor and his stubbornness defined his final weeks and days. We are so grateful for the massive role he had in shaping all of our lives with his connection and optimism about life. Bill never complained. Never. He was not scared to head into the next chapter of his journey. Bill lived his entire life with integrity and deep faith and will be missed.
A service honoring Bill will be held on Thursday, March 30th at 2pm at Central Lutheran Church in Portland. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Dougy Center or Sacred Flight.
DONACIONES
The Dougy Center
Sacred Flight
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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