Kevin Ray Buckmister

Kevin Ray Buckmister, age 69, of Gilbert, Arizona, passed away peacefully at home after a long battle with dementia on March 12th, 2023.

         Kevin was born on July 24th, 1953, to Harry and Matilda Buckmister in Mankato, Minnesota, and was moved to Arizona when he was three months old. At age 17, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1971-1975. He was married on September 9th, 1971, to Laura Lee Fiegl in Mesa, Arizona. At his passing, Kevin and Laura were married for 51 years.

         Kevin is survived by his wife, Laura Buckmister; their children, Nathan and Eric; their grandchildren, Blake, Chloe, and Rhett and his siblings, Doug (Cathie) Buckmister, Amy (Mark) Woodward, and John (Sharon) Buckmister, brother-in-laws Joseph and Lonnie Fiegl, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Matilda Buckmister, his older brother Paul Buckmister, nephew Brett Buckmister and sister-in-law Ellen Fiegl.

         Kevin was actively involved in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and he was known as the “candy man.” He happily served in the Mesa Temple baptistry for a year. He worked for the city of Mesa for 27 years as a field supervisor. He loved his family, Mexico, Disneyland, and people in general. He was generous and kind and could carry on a conversation with a complete stranger as if they were best friends.

         Funeral services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (220 E. Cullumber Avenue Gilbert, AZ 85234) on Friday, March 24th at 11:00 am, with a viewing prior at 10:00 am. Kevin will be interred in the Mesa Cemetery following the funeral services.

            In lieu of flowers, please send donations to ArizonaLife Hospice, 40 W. Baseline Rd. #103, Tempe, AZ 85283. They have been our guardian angels for the last 14 months, and I couldn’t have done any of this without them.