Edmund Lucyan Buczkowski “Butch” of Little Rock, passed away June 25, 2014, surrounded by four generations of his loving family. He was born December 29, 1926 in Gospoda, Arkansas to Mateusz Lucyan Buczkowski and Stephania Borosewicz Buczkowski. His parents immigrated from Poland in the early 1900's, married and moved to Arkansas to start a Polish community near Des Arc, Arkansas called, Gospoda. Gospoda became a thriving Polish community with a post office, railroad depot, and other mercantile businesses. It was located in the heart of a farming community and near the White River, were Butch would later farm rice and soybeans. He attended Des Arc High School and later the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville after serving honorably in the Navy during WWII and the Korean conflict. Butch would tell his family that the best day of his life was when he met the love of his life, Dorothy Liggett, from Kennett, Missouri and was married three months later in 1953. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dorothy Liggett Buczkowski of little Rock, daughter Laura Daven (Tim) of Little Rock, son John Buczkowski (Tonya) of Eagle River, Alaska. Four grandchildren, Kinsey Carr (Elliott) of little Rock, Patrick Daven (Rachael) of Jacksonville, Florida and Mark Daven of Fayetteville Arkansas, Faith Buczkowski of Eagle River, Alaska and one great-grandchild, Preston Carr. Butch was affectingly known to his family as "Papa." Butch was preceded in death by his father and mother, Mateusz and Stephania Buczkowski and three siblings; Helen Doepel, Ceil Schwennesen and Ted Bennett. He was a long time member of Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock. He will be missed by all that knew him for his wide bright smile, moral, personal and professional character, quiet demeanor and faithful example as a child of God. Butch loved golf and was "self- taught", as he would say, but his golfing buddies quickly learned not to underestimate his game; that his calm demeanor was backed by four, hole-in-one trophys, which he attributed to luck. As told to his grandkids, Butch's business career started at nine years of age when he negotiated the sale of freshly dressed squirrel to the railroad engineers who had stops at the rail depot in Gospoda. Thereafter he had a long and successful career in finance and banking; retiring as Vice-President of Commercial Loans from First Commercial Bank in Little Rock, where he developed many personal friendships. After his second retirement he was asked by his dear friend and former client, Gerald F. Hamra, to become COO of Wendy's of Little Rock. It is, humorously known, that on Jerry's asking for his first loan that Butch told him "I've never heard of Wendy's". The meeting turned into a lifelong friendship and Wendy's became one of the most successful franchises in the country, as noted by Dave Thomas, Wendy's founder, and friend to both Jerry and Butch. The family will receive friends at Griffin Leggett Healey & RothFuneral Home at 5800 West 12th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Friday (today) from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The funeral will be held at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth Chapel on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. followed by a private burial at Lakeside cemetery in Des Arc1 outside Gospoda, where his heart never left. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the "Merry Makers" at Calvary Baptist Church, 5700 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72207. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the 7th and 9th floor staff and hospice team of Baptist Hospital as well as the staff and friends at Briarwood Nursing Home in Little Rock for their gentle and loving care they have provided.
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