Obituary for Donald W Buckingham

Donald Warren Buckingham, age 88, of Robbinsdale, formerly of Brooklyn Center, died peacefully in his sleep January 28, 2016, freeing his earthly body from the ravages of Lewy Body disease. Born April 1927 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Mildred Kilpatrick and Raymond Ewing Buckingham. Married Dorothy Marie Swallow December 26, 1948, in Des Moines. Don served in the Army Air Force at the end of WWII. After graduating from Iowa State University in mechanical engineering, he worked for Solar Aircraft in Des Moines before moving to Minnesota in 1956 for a 40-year career with Honeywell. He was especially proud of his work on the Apollo space mission and the J-Co project in collaboration with Japanese engineers and the Japanese Navy. Don was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, with a sharp mind, a silly sense of humor, and a Depression-era child's sense of responsibility. He enjoyed golf, machines and gadgets, violin music, crossword puzzles, and, most of all, the family’s Gull Lake cabin. Survived by devoted wife of 67 years, Dot, children Cynthia (Jim Bach), Salt Lake City, Doug (Linda), Bluffton SC, and Tim, Milwaukee, and granddaughters Alissa, Mary, and Kristina. Preceded in death by son Randy, brother Bill, and sister JoAnn.

No funeral services are planned. Please send memorials to a charity of your choice, and spend time with your loved ones while you can. Special thanks to the staff at North Ridge Care Center for their skilled and compassionate care during the past two years.