Bucky would "always" be one of the first to stand up and say something good about someone and tell a "funny" story about them. He was a great storyteller and could get everyone laughing in no time. Bucky was one of the first people Iworked with on graveyard at Metro. We were polar opposites, I was negative and he was "very positive." He loved to have fun and play practical jokes and I was an easy mark since he could always get me riled up. I remember the first time; they had gone to pick up food for everyone and came back with hamburgers. Bucky had taken a bite out of mine and then rewrapped it so it didn't show and everybody had a good laugh at my reaction when I opened it up to eat it! At my retirement party earlier this year I ordered a hamburger, took a bite and then handed it to him. He remembered the joke and we laughed about it again. Another time, there was a a concern about layoffs and I'm a worry wart so he got a hold of a layoff notice and redrafted it so it had my name on it and let me sweat it out a while. They got their chuckles and in the end we all had a good laugh. It became a challenge to try and figure out when he'd pull the next practical joke. I hate to admit it, but I even hesistated to invite him to my wedding because I was afraid he'd play some practical joke, and there was no way I was telling him where I was staying. I later regretted not inviting him because he was always a good friend.
I had a chance to partially make up for that error when I invited him to my retirement party in January of this year [2010]. He and his wonderful wife Judy came and Bucky, in best form, stood up with me and we shared stories and experiences with everyone and we all laughed. What a great time we had and what great memories we shared.
As much as he liked to joke around, he also had my back and took me under his wing. Early on, I really screwed up a job and he spent as many as hours as it took to help me fix it and make it right. He'd "always" be there to help others and help me. That's the kind of guy he was. We were a family on that graveyard shift and continued to keep in touch even as we moved around to other bases. 
I always remember him in a good mood. Even when we went to visit him after his surgery a few years ago, he was in good spirits and despite the pain, got up and took a little walk around the yard to show us what they'd done. He had a big heart and in the end I guess his physical heart just couldn't hold all the heart that was Mike Buchanan. We love you and we'll miss you Bucky!
Gary & Astrid DuPuy
3/21/2010
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