Obituary of Stephen Buckner

Stephen N. Buckner Stephen Noble Buckner died Monday, May 28, 2012, following a courageous battle with cancer. He will be greatly missed by friends and family who benefited from his kind and gentle nature; who enjoyed his wry wit; and who admired his perseverance in the face of life?s challenges. Steve, 60, passed away peacefully in the home of his sister Jennie Buckner and brother-in-law Stephen Landers. They are deeply grateful he was a part of their lives and that he could be with them these past 10 months -- going to movies; watching birds in the back yard; and taking memorable trips to Asheville and Charleston. Steve was born to the late James and Helen Buckner on Feb. 20, 1952, in Huntington, W. Va., and he grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio. As a Boy Scout, he developed a life-long appreciation of nature. He loved fishing, camping, trail riding, and photography. But nothing gave him more pleasure than music, and especially playing the guitar. Steve graduated from the University of Cincinnati and he studied city and regional planning in graduate school at The Ohio State University. He worked in the development department for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and helped create its first computer mapping system. Later, he was a geographic specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau in Charlotte and a planner for Lancaster County. He moved back to Cincinnati in 2002, where he worked for Data Recognition Corporation. In addition to his sister and brother-in-law, Steve is survived by niece Katie Landers, of Troy, NY. Other survivors include two aunts, Thurston Orme and Jane Williams of Kentucky, and six cousins. A memorial service will be held Friday, June 1, at 11 a.m. in the Francis Chapel of Myers Park Methodist Church. Afterwards, the family will receive friends at their home. A second celebration of Steve?s life and interment will take place in Maysville, KY. at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Urban Ministry Center, 945 North College St., Charlotte, NC 28206. (www.urbanministrycenter.org) or to Tender Mercies, 15 West 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. (www.tendermerciesinc.org).