Richard “Dick” Lewis Buxton ~ May 20, 1936 – October 19, 2020

The night before he went to the Naval Academy, he met the adorable and vivacious Marilyn Deal. They were pinned during June Week at the Naval Academy in 1958, and married in 1962 in Carmel, California. While Dick was stationed in Long Beach, he and Marilyn had their first child, Susan. In 1964, he got out of the Navy and returned to Idaho. Dad got a job with Mountain Bell and joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. They had two more children, Carolyn and Rich. Dick and Marilyn stayed in their starter house with their starter spouse for 58 years.

While working and raising a family, with the infatigable support from his wife Marilyn, he was active in local politics, serving as the Republican Precinct Chairman for 30 years and Ada County Republican Central Committee Chairman for 3 years. He helped many of his friends’ successful campaigns and attended the 1980 and 1984 Republican National Conventions as a delegate when Ronald Regan was the Republican nominee.

Although passionate about politics, he was not mean or rude. He loved to talk about the defense budget, nuclear waste management, and the national debt among other weighty topics. He was not one for small talk. His closest neighborhood friend was Bob Mulick, the Democratic Precinct Chairman. They shared coffee and talked politics almost every Saturday morning for over 40 years. Their friendship is a wonderful example of caring and respect of others with whom your views differ.

Dick was a very patriotic person and loved his country, Idaho, and the Navy. He was the commanding officer of the Naval and Marine Corps Center in Boise.  After retirement from the telephone company, he returned to active duty for one year working at the Pentagon before retiring as a Captain after 30 years of service. His experience in the Navy is documented online at the Library of Congress under the Veterans Project.

He also served his neighborhood and community, including as an Optimist football coach for 10 years, president of North Boise Little League Baseball for two years, and PTO president at Taft Elementary for two years.

Dick had little need for material things and was famously frugal, following his parents’ example. Through sacrifice and frugality, he ensured his children were able to go to college and graduate school. His few splurges in life included a Piper Cherokee airplane he loved to share with his son, the purchase of a cabin in Cascade for his family to gather, and his children’s education.

He was very proud of his children, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. He loved and guided each in his quiet, accepting way.  After retirement, he seldom missed his grandchildren’s sports games and musical performances. He was a fantastic grandfather, loving and accepting of each child exactly as they were. His parenting advise was “leave them alone” and “don’t fuss, they will find their way successfully”. He was right.

Dick was loyal, selfless, and 100% reliable.  He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, colleague, and patriot. He will be greatly missed by family and friends alike.

The family would like to thank the many wonderful and caring neighbors and friends who stopped by to offer encouragement, food, helped pick him up when he fell, took trash cans to the curb, and so many other acts of kindness that we cannot even begin to name. We are blessed beyond words for the loving care and kindness of so many.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Sumner L. “Bill” Buxton, and his sister-in-law Ina Mae Buxton. He is survived by his wife Marilyn (Deal) Buxton, daughter Susan Buxton (Grant Walden), Carolyn Buxton Bridges (Dan Bridges), and Richard Buxton (Juliette Buxton), and his grandchildren, Mckell Walden, Sam and Andrew Bridges, and Thomas and Elise Buxton, sister Karen McGinnis, brother James “Jay” Buxton, and many nieces and nephews. In Dick's memory, please consider a donation to Hope House, Inc. in Marsing, Idaho (http://ahome2come2.com).

Fair winds and following seas, Captain Buxton.

A visitation will be held Sunday, October 25, 2020 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel.  Please wear a mask and follow all social distancing guidelines while attending the visitation.  Due to Covid-19, a private committal service with military honors will be held at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery on Monday and a live stream of the service will be made available at www.aldenwaggoner.com.