Henry F. Buxton

Henry F. (Bucky) Buxton, 62, husband of Mary (Mead) Buxton, died peacefully at his home in Newtown on February 20 following a brief illness.

Mr Buxton was born in Evanston, Ill. on Jan. 13, 1938, a son of the late Henry L. and Doris (Chamberlain) Buxton. He spent his early life in Milwaukee, Wis. and later lived in Houston, Tex. and Los Angeles, Calif. He served in the US Army from 1955 to 1958. He was stationed for a time in France, where he met his future wife. They were married in 1958 and moved to Newtown in 1960.

He worked as a tree surgeon with his father-in-law, Sanford Mead. In 1962 he fell some 60 feet from a tree in which he was working and broke his back. This event was a turning point in his life. Thereafter he used every day of what he viewed as his “borrowed time” to become a better person and to help others.

He worked in Mental Health/Addiction services for the State of Connecticut from 1963 until his retirement in 1992. He was a founding staff member of the EDON House Drug Program and eventually became assistant program director of the Berkshire Woods Chemical Dependency Treatment Center. Although he did not finish high school, he was so impressed by the efforts of the EDON House program residents to further their education that he joined them in their studies and received his GED in 1977. In 1984 he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport. He was a member of Phi chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society. In addition to his state service, he maintained a private counseling practice until the time of his death.

Besides his wife, he is survived by one brother, R.N. Carros of Douglasville, Ga.; one sister, Leilani Young of Albuquerque, N.M.; six children, Rolande Paguay of Bethel, Marion Carter of North Plains, Ore., Nicole Buxton of Stanley, Falkland Islands, Michael Buxton of New Preston, Suzanne Garofalo of Georgetown, and Toad Buxton of White River Jct., Vt.; four grandchildren, Mick and Meghann Carter, and Nick and Paul Garofalo; and by many, many beloved friends and clients.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St Rose Church on Tuesday, February 29 at 10 am. Burial will take place in Newtown Village Cemetery in the spring.

There are no calling hours.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Regional Hospice of Western Conn., Inc., 30 West Street, Danbury, CT 06810.

Arrangements are by the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown.

The Newtown Bee       February 25, 2000