Buck Allen Burgett

Buck Allen Burgett—our beloved father, son, grandfather, brother and friend— passed into the loving arms of God at the age of 65 after battling cancer for several years. Born the eldest child to Wilford Ray 'Bill' and Bonnie Pearl Burgett on January 17th 1949 in Billings, Montana, Buck spent his early years moving throughout the mountain west as his father ran a drilling crew in the oil industry. With the arrival of Buck's two sisters Carma Fay 'Sue' and Rebecca 'Becky', the family put down in roots in Rangely, Colorado, located in remote northwestern Colorado. There, Buck graduated from Rangely High School in 1968. Motivated by his patriotism and hatred of the evils of communism, Buck volunteered for the U.S. Army and for service in Vietnam. After attending basic training at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas, Buck's high aptitude scores slotted him into the army's electronics program, and his dedication to service pushed his to reach the elite classification as an army paratrooper. After a tour of duty in Germany and on leave in Denver Colorado before his deployment to Vietnam, Buck's life was changed when he was introduced by mutual friends to Georgeann DeCianne. Buck and Georgeann's romance grew through letters exchanged during Buck's year-long combat deployment to Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Soon after Buck's discharge from the Army, they were married on December 12th 1970 at All Saints Church in Denver. After living a few years in Rangley during which Buck earned an Associate of Science college degree, the young couple returned to Denver to start a family, settling close to Georgeann's family. Three children—Georjeana, Anthony and Michael—came in quick succession, and during this time, Buck worked in the electronics industry in Denver and served his country again in the U.S. Army Reserves, ultimately leaving the Army as a Staff Sergeant (E6). Buck relocated his young family to Oklahoma in 1985 for a career opportunity, ultimately settling in the Tulsa suburb of Jenks. While a fulltime-working father, Buck completed both his bachelor's degree (Industrial Technology) and his master's degree (Industrial Management) from Northeastern State (Oklahoma) University. In 2004, with his three children all having graduated college, Buck's patriotic duty and sense of adventure led him to seek work as an Army contractor in support of the U.S. military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served overseas for six-years on U.S. military bases in western Iraq and throughout Afghanistan. While on-leave from Afghanistan in 2011, Buck was diagnosed with cancer. Retiring from contracting work, Buck and Georgeann then lived in their native Colorado to be close to family. Buck was defined by his love of his family, his passionate beliefs and his wide-ranging intellectual interests. Recently preceded in death by his loving wife Georgeann, Buck is especially grieved by his father, two sisters, three children and five grandchildren (Daniel – 10, Dominic – 8, Georgianna – 8, Julian – 5, and Matthew – 5). In commemoration of Buck's patriotic service and his love of family, in lieu of flowers, we ask that a donation be made in Buck's name to either: the Wounded Warrior Project http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/; or the Little Sisters of the Poor https://littlesistersofthepoordenver.weshareonline.org/#. Please share your memories of Buck and condolences with his family by signing the guest book below.