Kathleen Slack Buxton

Kathleen Slack Buxton, 99, died on October 5, 2017 in Corona del Mar, CA. Born Kathleen Slack on December 5, 1917 in Oklahoma City, OK, to Ellis Greenwood Slack and Jean Dennis Slack, she lived her younger years in Denver, CO and Tulsa, OK. A lifelong fan of music, Kathleen was a gifted soprano who enjoyed performing in operas through high school and in college.

Kathleen graduated from the University of Southern California, with a Bachelor of Arts - Major in Music. While at USC, she performed in frequent recitals and opera readings where she shared favorites like “Musetta’s Aria” from Puccini’s La Boheme, and held starring roles in operas including The Mikado. A member of the USC chapters of Sigma Alpha Iota musical sorority and Kappa Delta, USC was also where Kathleen met and married her first husband Robert Fenberg. He pre-deceased her in 1973.

Her first career as a high school journalism and English teacher for Long Beach Unified School District lasted over 30 years. She earned her Masters in English from California State University of Long Beach in 1969, her innate tenacity helping her successfully complete her degree while teaching and raising her family. During this time she was an active member of the Long Beach Women’s Music Club and the North Long Beach Club. On retiring from teaching, Kathleen enjoyed a second career as a successful realtor for 15 years, specializing in exchange properties.

Kathleen loved to travel, was an avid amateur pilot and went on many wonderful adventures with her second husband, Frederick Buxton, who pre-deceased her in 2001. She spent many of her later years traveling the world with her daughter, son-in-law and her grandchildren. A regular cruise ship passenger, Kathleen enjoyed visiting sights in 5 of the 7 continents and loved to share the photos and stories from her travels. Aside from travel she loved to dance—any time or place! A resident of Orange County since 1979, she had spent the last five years as an active resident of Crown Cove Assisted Living in Corona del Mar, where she was often the dance floor star of the weekly happy hour.

Kathleen was also pre-deceased in death by her two sons, Richard and Douglas Fenberg. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Fenberg Mills and son-in-law Creighton, her grandchildren: Carter Mills Isham and husband Rob, Nash Mills, Avery Mills Wagner and husband Andrew, Jarrod Fenberg and wife Susie, Jason Fenberg and wife Kelly, and by her daughter-in-law, Cynthia Fenberg (wife of Richard). She was also lucky to have six Fenberg great-grandsons: Cole, Tucker, Cooper, Caden, Paxton and Easton. She is also fondly remembered by the Buxton children—Fred Jr., Barry, Jimmy and Barbara Whalen.

Services will be held at Pacific View Memorial Chapel in Corona del Mar on October 26 at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends go out to their favorite restaurant and enjoy a wonderful meal in Kathleen’s memory!