Bruce Myron Bucher

Bruce Myron Bucher June 1, 1937 - July 4, 2024 Bruce was born on June 1, 1937
at Shannondale, Missouri, at the mission run by his father, the Rev. Vincent
Bucher, and his mother, Ruth Beam Bucher. After a full life, he had a heart attack
during a stent procedure and died a few days later on July 4, 2024, with his wife
and children by his side.

Between those two events, Bruce lived a life filled with family, friends, and faith.
He was born in a home with lots of love but without electricity or running water in
the Ozark mountains. He attended small rural schools with his siblings and
neighbors, and a larger town high school to which he loved to go for reunions over
the years. He knew he wanted to help people by becoming a physician like his
uncle and so attended Park College and the University of Missouri medical school.
After his internships he travelled around the world and served in the Peace Corps
as a physician in the Phillipines. After he returned to the US, he met his wife,
Karlynn Wenger, while getting a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins.
After they were married in 1968, they stayed at Hopkins, and their first daughter,
Kimberly Ruth, was born in Baltimore. Then he worked over the years in academia
at the University of Pittsburgh, where his younger daughter, Kristen Elisabeth, was
born, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. But his heart was in primary
care, taking care of patients. So, he decided to go into private practice. In deciding
where to settle, he and Karlynn found Tappahannock, Virginia, which was near her
parents. Tappahannock had a good hospital and the community needed a physician,
so they moved their family to Virginia in 1980. He founded a medical practice that
grew over the next thirty years until he turned over his practice to Bon Secours. He
continued to work for Bon Secours and then the free clinic before he fully retired in                                                                                                                                                                                     2017 after practicing medicine for more than 50 years. He loved the practice of
medicine and he loved his patients.

He made the most of his retirement years, spending time with his children and
grandchildren. The last few years he was able to immerse himself in Bible study
which he loved. It was Bruce’s greatest joy to join with others in learning more
about Jesus Christ. He was an active member of Beale Memorial Baptist Church.

After having traveled the world and much of the country, he most enjoyed the
simple things in life. Bruce was most happy sitting on his back porch, watching the
river, reading a book, listening to music, and reminiscing about his dear family,
friends, and his long life. He enjoyed planting flowers and watching
hummingbirds. It was not uncommon to see him on his small tractor. He was
happiest when the whole family gathered for holidays at their home. And he had
family with him as he passed into eternity.

Bruce is survived by his wife, Karlynn Wenger Bucher, his daughters, Kimberly
Maher (Marcus), and Kristen Hahn (James); his older brother, Norman Bucher, and
his younger sister, Carol Washburn; his grandsons, Jonathan and Thomas Maher,
and Patrick Hahn; many cousins, and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on July 13, 2024 at 11:00 am, at Beale Memorial
Baptist Church in Tappahannock, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be
made to Beale Memorial Baptist Church, P O Box 816, Tappahannock, VA 22560,
to support home and foreign missionary projects.