Former Malibu resident Almar Washington Buckner died on Jan. 22 from complications after a fall. He was 83.
Buckner was born in Bellingham, Wash. on Nov. 14, 1922. He was a lieutenant in the Army Air Force and a B-17 pilot in the 8th Air Division. Buckner successfully flew eight missions during World War II and survived being shot down over the English Channel.
He returned home to enroll at University of Washington in the business program. Shortly before graduating, Buckner married artist Betty Lisle on March 20, 1948. They settled in Seattle in a house they designed and built near Lake Washington and began raising a family.
After graduating from college and building his house, Buckner became a salesman for Remington Rand. He was transferred to San Francisco and shortly became a store planner. The family settled in Malibu in 1966. The Buckners lived there until the Malibu brush fires of 1993 destroyed the house they designed and built in Las Flores Canyon. They moved to Camarillo after the fire.
Buckner retired in 1976 and obtained his contractors license in order to build his house and do small projects. He traveled to Guatemala with missionary groups to help build houses for the poor.
Friends and family from Malibu and Camarillo said Buckner was a humorous, kind and generous man. He was active as an elder at Malibu Presbyterian Church, a 33 degree Mason and a member of Toastmasters.
Buckner is survived by his wife, Betty, and his daughters Cory Buckner, Rande Anderson and Jody Semerau.
A memorial service will take place on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church. The church is located at 2304 Antonio Ave. in Camarillo.