William Buikema

William (Bill) Buikema went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 8, 2025. Bill remained faithful to the end and looked forward to being in the presence of his loving Savior.

He was born at home in the old west side of Chicago, Illinois on June 21, 1933 to Ralph and Gertrude Buikema. He was the youngest of six children. His brothers Peter, John, and Andrew, his sister Marcie Schipma, and his son William Jr. preceded him in death. He has one surviving brother, Ralph.

He attended Ebenezer Christian School through the 6th grade, followed by Timothy Christian School for 7th and 8th grades, and then Chicago Christian High School until his junior year. At the age of 16, following the death of his father, he went to work to support his mother and later completed his GED. He worked delivering papers, setting bowling pins, and driving delivery trucks for his brother Ralph's company to help his mom.

On Nov 21, 1952, he married Clara Bosman, who was the love of his life. They grew up together in the old west side and Berwyn. They recently celebrated their 72nd anniversary and on his last day, he told Clara he’d marry her all over again. They were blessed with 4 children.

In 1958, Andrew Bosman, Clara’s father, bought a trash business in Denver, Colorado. His sons and son-in-law Bill moved with their families to join the business. The business went through several changes until the family sold the company to Waste Management in the 1980’s. Bill retired from Waste Management in 1992.

Bill and Clara were one of the original families to join Third Christian Reformed Church, now Hope Fellowship Christian Reformed Church. Because of his deep love for the Lord, He served faithfully in the church as deacon, elder, Cadet leader, and was actively involved in men's Bible study, mission trips, and Volunteers in Action.

They had a wonderful group of friends with whom they traveled and spent many happy weekends in Grand Lake. His recent preferred activity involved sitting on the deck in the sunlight, watching the birds, and offering treats to the neighborhood dogs as they passed by.

He cherished time with his family and prayed for them daily. He is survived by his wife Clara, their children Linda (Steven) Lucht, Karen (David) Velgersdyk, Carol Buikema, Patricia (Jacqueline Smieja) Buikema, 11 grandchildren Jennifer (Aaron) Franchi, Stephen (Tessa Crowther) Lucht, Melissa (Steven Stang) Lucht, Rachel Lucht, Matthew Velgersdyk, Michael (Amanda) Velgersdyk, Douglas (Shannon) Velgersdyk, Christopher (Kelly) Velgersdyk, William (Rebecca) Buikema, Leanne Buikema, Eric (Krista Mugge) Buikema, and 18 + great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his extended family and friends.

The service can be viewed via livestream: https://boxcast.tv/view/celebration-of-life-for-bill-buikema-x2n29uczjeobrp0xbbxn

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to donate in his memory to:

Denver Christian Schools, 3898 S Teller Street, Lakewood, CO 80235

Hope Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, 2400 S Ash, Denver, CO 80222