Burton W. Bucher

Burton “Burt” Bucher was born on May 9, 1948, in Evanston, IL to Emil & Caroline (nee Blow) Bucher. A decorated Vietnam veteran, accomplished aviator, & dedicated entrepreneur, he passed away peacefully at home on February 3, 2025, at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer.

Burt is survived by his loving wife, Linda (nee Malz); his sons Burt “Bear” Bucher (Sandra) and Tim Bucher (Jackie); and his stepdaughters, Laura Cohen (Randy), Kate Krischke-Grobart (Kevin), Mary Pursche (Stephen); and his brother, John Bucher.

He was a proud grandfather to Jakob, Baileigh, Robert, Averi, Payton, Lucas, Emma, Charlotte, Aidan, Alice and Hazel.

Burt was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Stacey, and his sister-in-law, Martha.

He enlisted in the US Army serving as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 during the Vietnam Armed Conflict ’67 - ‘68. His brave service in combat earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross and a DFC with one oak leaf cluster, along with a Bronze Star, and numerous other commendations. After his Vietnam tour, he was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in GA where he continued his military service until an honorable discharge in 1970.

Following his service, Burt flew helicopters for oil exploration in Ecuador before becoming a fixed-wing flight instructor in Savannah. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to join his father in founding HMT Mfg. in 1972.

Burt (aka Buy-Two -Bucher) was a man of many passions. He loved to travel, explore national parks, and took to the skies for recreational flying. A true tinkerer at heart, he was always fixing, building, or collecting—sometimes to “excess”, much to the amusement of those who knew him. He loved boating, building his infamous Franken-Deer, and sharing adventures with his wife.

A memorial to honor his life will be held at Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N Cemetery Rd, Gurnee, IL 60031, on Tuesday February 11, 2025, from 4 to 8 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County (https://www.vaclc.org/) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/).