Frederick John Buck

Frederick John Buck was born on September 27, 1950 in South Bend, Indiana to Carson and Martha Buck. He was child number four of six, with three older sisters and a younger sister and brother. John grew up in Manlius, New York and treasured the memories he made there. His fondest memories were of family trips to the Adirondacks, bird watching with his mother, being an altar boy at Sacred Heart Church, his time as a Boy Scout, and being a part of his High School Cross Country Team.

After graduating High School, he joined the Air Force and served for 4 years. The Air Force took him to many places, San Antonio, TX, Omaha, NE, Bitburg, Germany and Homestead, FL. He proudly served during the Vietnam War as a Photogrammetrist.

Following his service, John and his family found their way to Grand Junction, Colorado, where he studied at Mesa College and earned a Bachelors in Computer Science. Following his graduation, the family moved to Lancaster, California where he worked as a computer programmer at Edwards Air Force Base before becoming a Substitute Teacher for the Lancaster School District, eventually retiring in 2023.

One of John's greatest pleasures was finding ways to be involved with his community. He spent his time as an Usher, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and CCD Teacher, for the Catholic Church. He joined several clubs such as Knights of Columbus, AV Gold Prospectors, Treasure Hunters, Investors Club, and AV Chess club. He also greatly enjoyed participating in local theater. He had many hobbies including: genealogy, chess, photography, travel, canoeing, boating, rock climbing, piloting, hiking, camping, rowing, and sailing.

John is well remembered and greatly loved by the friends he made playing chess at Starbucks, through VA meetups and substitute teaching. He was well known for his sense of humor and love of dad jokes, as well as his desire to keep learning new things.

John passed on Monday, February 16th, 2026, after a ten year long battle with cancer. He is survived by his two daughters, Heidi and Heather, his grandson Elijah, and his siblings and their families. He is greatly loved and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.