Michael "Mike" W. Van Buren, age 74, retired from The Coleman Company, Director of Operations-Maize Plant, passed away on Friday, March 18, 2022. Michael was born July 26, 1947 in Wichita, the son of William Charles and Mary Cecilia (Rathert) Van Buren.
On August 20, 1967, he married Suzanne Fisher in Wichita.
Mike was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 30, 1968, serving in Vietnam as a radio operator in conjunction with the U.S. Navy. He was honorably discharged on February 22, 1970.
Mike worked for The Coleman Company for 40 plus years, until his retirement in 2009. He enjoyed 33 years of Stag Campouts with his Coleman Company family and helped in organizing all the trips.
Nothing was more important to Mike than his family. He and Suzanne enjoyed many trips traveling to Hawaii, an Alaskan cruise, and just packing their bags for their 30th anniversary and driving south.
Mike insisted for their 50th anniversary to take the whole family on a Caribbean cruise. They also spent Friday nights as a family eating dinner together. They took many family trips as a family, driving all six of them in one car, to all over the U.S.
Mike's most favorite hobby was duck hunting.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include: his wife of 54 years, Suzanne; daughter, Shelley and husband, Glenn Ritter; grandchildren, his pride and joy, Zachery Ritter and Brooklynne Ritter; sister, Karen and husband, Dave Unruh; father-in-law, Robert Fisher; nieces, nephews, and granddogs.
Celebration of Life service will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 2, 2022 at Resthaven Mortuary, 11800 W. Highway 54, Wichita, KS 67209.
In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with Ducks Unlimited, Inc., One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 3 International Drive, Suite 200, Rye Brook, NY 10573, National Kidney Foundation, 9218 Metcalf Ave. #424, Overland Park, KS 66212.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ResthavenMortuary-Cemetery.com for the VanBuren family.
