Art Shepard Bucknam

Meet the greatest Dad and Grandpa, Arthur Shepard Bucknam, 81, of Great Falls; some of you for the first time, many whose lives he has touched.  He passed away on Tuesday, August 27, 2019. 

A Public Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 4, from 6-8pm in the Rose Room Chapel at Croxford Funeral Home and where Art will receive Military Honors from the Malmstrom Air Force Honor Guard and the VFW Post 1087. Cremation will then be entrusted to Croxford Funeral Home.  The following week, a Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, September 10th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the VFW, 4123 10th Ave S, Great Falls. All are invited to attend.

For the people who don’t know him, he was the kind of person that would give you the shirt off his back.  For us kids, we saw the military side of him.  I don’t think I’ve ever had long hair.  He could be strict but loving at the same time.  It was not till later that us kids figured that out. 

He met Alice Jeannette Lacey at Sandy’s Drive-in and it was love at first sight.  They were married on March 3, 1965 and loved each other for 56 years.  Together they had six sons and one daughter.

Dad was a military man through and through.  He proudly served in the Air Force for 24 years, retiring from Malmstrom AFB as a TSGT Missile Technician.  He received the Air Force Good Conduct Medal with four oak clusters, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship ribbon, the Longevity Service ribbon with three oak clusters, the National Defense Service medal, and was the motorcycle trainer for the Security Police at Mather AFB. 

After retiring from the military, Dad worked for Biomedical-Columbus, Deaconess, Benefis and Davis Business Machines as a computer technician.  He was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, loved Ford Mustangs, and always enjoyed time spent camping.

Survivors include his beloved wife, Alice; sons, Tim, Scott, Tony, Dan and Arthur Brown; daughter, Debra Doyon; grandchildren, Kaylie and Lacey; sister-in-law, Barbara Bucknam, Richmond, KY.

Those who preceded him in death include his parents; son, Steve; brother, Harry Walker Bucknam; daughter-in-law, Denise Bucknam

He was often heard saying “That’s a Brute!” and “Time to Ride”. 

Well, Dad, it’s your “Time to Ride” on to the next adventure.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Art Shepard Bucknam, please visit our floral store.