Frederick McKinley Buxton (aka Fred, FM and “Buck”) was born Jan. 5, 1931, in Tulsa, Oklahoma and passed away on Jan. 5, 2026. Fred was the only child of Rose McNulty Buxton and Abner McKinley Buxton from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Mt. Vernon, Ohio High School and then attended Miami University where he joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Fred worked as a roughneck during summers while attending college in the South Texas oil fields where he discovered his passion for the oil and gas production industry.
Fred was stationed at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma during the Korean War where he taught Fire Direction at The Artillery School. Fred was a proud member of the eight-man football team that went undefeated but for one game in two years. His team went on to win two Ft. Sill football championships and two Fourth Army Championships.
After Fred completed his military duty, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he obtained a BS in petroleum engineering. After graduation, Fred worked as a petroleum engineer for Sunray-Mid Continent Oil Company. He also taught graduate engineering courses at OU during the same period. It was at OU where he met the love of his life, Helen Ann (Nan) Scott, and after 6 long years of dating they were married on June 23, 1958.
Fred began his own petroleum engineering practice and they were blessed with four children: Fred Buxton, Jr, Thornton Scott Buxton (Colette), Sally Megan Buxton, Melissa Buxton Veneklasen (Mark), and six grandchildren: Marquis Antwaine Hamilton (Caley Shulfer), Callie Megan Root, Molly Rose Marso (Torin Power), Matthew William Veneklasen (Elizabeth), Grace Ann Veneklasen, Jefferson Scott Buxton and four great grandchildren: Peter Thatcher Root (5), Robert Scott Root (3), Lulie Roarke Power (4), & McNulty Matthew Power (21 months). Being “Papaw” was his second favorite title right behind being Nano’s beau.
Fred was a long-time member and deacon as well as a board member at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City. He also served on the trustee boards for Westminster School, Quail Creek Golf & Country Club, Oklahoma Golf Association, Crested Butte Community Foundation and The Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley.
Fred’s greatest joys in life were God and his family. He attended countless swim meets, baseball, softball, football, basketball and soccer games, horse shows, track meets and family trips to Crested Butte, Vail, Steamboat and Purgatory ski areas, sailing trips to the Grenadines and British Virgin Islands, Disney World and Alaska, and spending more than 30 summers at their beloved home in Crested Butte.
Golf and handball were two of his favorite pastimes. He had eight holes-in-one and played in numerous US Senior Golf Association and Senior Masters’ tournaments, and he loved playing handball where he won several championships.
At the top of Fred’s bucket list was singing in the barbershop quartet in a performance of the “Music Man,” and he got to do that with the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre’s “Music Man” production in the summer of 2009, which was followed up with minor roles in “Guys and Dolls” and the hit play “Oklahoma.”
Special thanks to: Nyela Rose, Rachel Heath, Kellie Finney and Patrice Jackson for their special efforts and compassionate care. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to: Urban Mission, 3737 N Portland Ave, Oklahoma City, OK, 73112, City Rescue Mission, 800 W California Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 or the Union Congregational Church, PO BOX 726, Crested Butte, CO 81224.
A Memorial Service was held to celebrate his life on Monday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City.
