Louis Jay Buren Jr.

Louis J. Buren Jr. peacefully passed away July 31, 2026. Lou was born in Seattle, WA on September 11, 1948. He was the beloved son of Louis J. Buren Sr. and Phyllis Claudon Buren.

Because his father’s work as a sales manager for Simpson Timber required the family to frequently move, Lou’s early years were spent living in multiple states until his family returned to the Northwest, eventually settling in Vancouver, WA. After years of what he later referred to as being a “gypsy boy,” it was at Hudson’s Bay High School that Lou met and developed lifetime friendships with a group of guys, Doug Meddaugh, Tim Alexander, Terry Clark, Jim Martin, and many others. Together they founded their high school’s infamous Paddle Pusher Club. “Paddle Pushers is our name. Ping-Pong is our game.”

After graduating from high school in 1966, Lou attended Clark Community College and graduated from Washington State University in 1970 with a degree in Communications. Lou fondly remembered his time at WSU living in an off-campus house that he and his rooming buddies called “Boys Town.” One of those buddies, Dave Reynolds, and his wife Jenny, are our dear friends to this day.

After college, Lou pursued his career in advertising and marketing. He started as a salesperson and copywriter at a Bellevue radio station and from there his career evolved, spanning both ad agency and corporate communications work. Lou applied his unique creative talents and promotional skills to a variety of industries: banking, travel, senior living, home builders, event planning, and retailers, to name a few. One of his earliest and most fun positions was working with Curtis Case at Bima Industries, developing and selling a do-it-yourself bean sprouter during the ‘70s sprout craze. The stories those two would tell! Lou loved his career as a “marketing guy.”

However, Lou’s greatest love was for his family and their Cairn Terrier, Bo. In 1983, Lou married Nannette Mary Lucas. They eventually moved to Redmond’s Education Hill where they raised their sons, Josh and Sam. Lou’s greatest pleasures were coaching his sons’ grade school basketball teams; participating in their Little League Baseball as an umpire or manning the snack booth; and walking his beloved Bo. In his later years, Lou enthusiastically welcomed Jennifer Walsh Buren, Josh’s wife, to the family and took so much joy in his grandchildren, Emma Rae now 12 and Jackson now 11. Sadly, his time to know them was all too short.

Lou was known by his friends and family for his unique sense of humor, wit, and charm, all of which were reflected in his personal writings. Lou’s family will forever be grateful to Betsy Case for compiling his poems, essays, and short stories into a book titled The Wordsmith — a word that Lou used to describe his love of writing and storytelling.

Lou is survived by “The Wife” Nannette Lucas Buren; his sons, Joshua Lucas Buren and Samuel James Buren; Josh’s wife, Jen; his grandchildren Emma Rae and Jackson William Buren; and his younger brother Richard “Rick” Buren. He was predeceased by his older sister Holly. The family expresses great appreciation and gratitude to Natasha Teslo and her staff at Avondale Country Estates for the years of care they gave Lou.

Lou will be forever missed and never forgotten by those of us who had the privilege of calling him husband, dad, grandpa, brother, and friend. A private Celebration of the Life & Times of Lou Buren will be held at a later date.