Ann Buckmaster

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Of your mercy, please pray for the repose of the soul of 
Ann Burch Buckmaster
October 16, 1946–August 17, 2023

All are invited to Ann’s funeral at 10:00am tomorrow, Saturday, October 14, with a reception to follow in the Murphey Gallery.

Almighty God, with whom still live the spirits of those who die in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful are in joy and felicity: We give you heartfelt thanks for the good examples of all your servants, who, having finished their course in faith, now find rest and refreshment. May we, with all who have died in the true faith of your holy Name, have perfect fulfillment and bliss in your eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, Burial Rite II, pg. 503)

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Ann Burch Buckmaster joined St Michael and his Heavenly Band of Angels after passing away peacefully at Peppi's House Hospice on the Tucson Medical Center campus on August 17. Ann, who was born in Nashville and lived her early life in Shelbyville, Tennessee, lost her brief two-month battle with an aggressive, rare cancerous tumor of the duodenum. This was the same cancer that just 13 months ago killed her only sibling, her older sister Betty Burch Richards.

Ann moved to Phoenix in 1959 and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1968. Later, she earned a Master's degree from the University of San Diego.

Ann had an amazing career in supply chain management that spanned more than a half century. Ann used to joke that she could buy anything. In 1969, she started at Goldwater's Department Store in Phoenix where she bought infants and toddler's clothing. She ended her career with Raytheon Missiles Systems where she spent 26 years working almost to her last day of life. A colleague called Ann "a leader that speaks her mind, tells it like it is, straight-talking professional, confident and smart, a force to reckoned with."

Ann and her husband Bill Buckmaster traveled the world during their 51 years of marriage, visiting 100 countries, all American states and half of the Canadian provinces. Ann loved animals and often said her favorite journey was to see the elephants and giraffes in East Africa. Along the way, Ann's pictures were posted on social media to rave reviews.

Bill Buckmaster calls their time together a storybook romance that never ended. On Ann's deathbed, her final words were "I'll always be with you."