Funeral services for Buford G. Rackley will be Friday, August 16, 2024 at the Eastman Baptist Church in Eastman with Bro. David Colaw and Bro. Rob Lee officiating.  Interment will follow immediately in the Eastman Cemetery.  Services are under the direction of the Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home of Marietta.  The family will gather and receive friends on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Buford was born on Feb. 12, 1934 in Burneyville to Frank Fitch and Alma Liddie Tankersley Rackley.  He passed away on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at the age of 90.

He received his formal education in the Burneyville school system, going there through the eleventh grade.  Upon moving to Arizona, with his family in 1950, he completed his senior year graduating with the class of 1952 in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

On Oct. 21, 1953 he married his sweetheart whom he had left behind in Oklahoma.  He and the former Betty Ruth Keller were married in the home of Rev. W.P. Rowland in Marietta.  For the next 70 years the two of them were rarely apart.  They began their married life together by returning to Arizona.  Buford began his 32-year career with El Paso Natural Gas Co. as a Utility/Yard hand in 1957, and retired as a Complex Superintendent over 6 gas plants in West Texas in 1989.   These 32 years took them to live in all states of the southwest, from Gila Bend Arizona to Sonora Texas.  It was always said "the Gas Company" never had a "Complex Station" close to any town or city, thus the family lived in many remote areas.  Living on the Navajo Indian Reservation north of Gallup New Mexico was a very important part of their lives.  There, they made lasting friendships as they did in all the locations they were sent.

Upon his retirement in 1989, Buford brought Betty back to Oklahoma to the Eastman community from which he had taken her.  Having bought her family farm from her dad earlier, the two of them had prepared for their retirement in her beloved community.  Not one to be idle, he soon began working for the Turner School system as a bus driver and substitute teacher.  This new challenge was an adventure so rewarding of the time he spent with his "bus kids" and later, the students in the classroom.  In some ways he felt he was being useful when one of the younger generation asked for his advice or just simply wanted to share something with him.  These were good times, and when his health began to fail, and he could no longer go to school, he missed the kids so much.

Buford, at a very young age, became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, going to church with his family to the church on the Rackley family land at Burneyville.  After moving to Eastman, he was accepted into the Eastman Baptist Church upon expressing his desire to serve the Lord in his new community.  He became very active and served on various committees of the Church and was an active Servant of the Church.  At the time of his death, he was a member of Burneyville Baptist Church where he enjoyed the fellowship and worship.  He will be remembered by fellow members of the knowledge of the Bible he possessed, and by the talent he had of reciting poetry and stories by memory on special occasion for his church.

He was also a member of the Eastman Volunteer Fire Department where he had served them at one time as the Fire Chief.  When the time came that he could no longer help them fight the fires, he remained an active supporter in aiding them during the times of their fundraisers.

Buford enjoyed traveling and had the opportunity to travel to all but 9 states of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii.  He and Betty enjoyed going on cruises and had travelled to Jamaica, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Canada, Tulum as well as many other places of Mexico.  However, he believed his proudest achievements were the births of his four children: Mark Allen, Terry Brent, Layne Scott, and Sonya Kay.  Even though Terry did not remain with us, as he was called back to heaven at the time of his birth, Buford was able to raise the other three children on the foundation of his beliefs that has made them the strong hard-working individuals they are today.  Mark, Layne, and Sonya cherished their dad with a love like no other.  He was their hero.  They loved and stood by him until the end.   He was truly an amazing husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.  Although our hearts are broken, we know he is well once again and with Jesus and Terry Brent.  He received much comfort during these last few years of his illness not only from his family but from his beloved Church family and friends.  For this we are grateful.  His love for, and trust in his Heavenly Father and Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, never wavered but only grew stronger.

He was preceded in death by his infant son, Terry Brent, his parents, Frank and Alma, three brothers; Hamilton, Odis, and Wayne, sister, Jean Carcimiglia, mother and father in-law, Rhul and Mable Keller, (who thought of him as another son), and brothers-in-law, Dick, Rhul Jr., and Randall Keller, and sister-in-law, Quetha Gonzales.

He is survived by his wife Betty, of the home at Eastman, son and daughter-in-law Mark and Sherry Rackley of Eastman, son and special friend Layne Rackley and Jeffrey Dunlap of San Diego California, daughter and son-in-law Sonya and John Choate of Eastman, grandchildren; Misti and Cody Langston of Eastman, Shane and Natalya Rackley of Snyder TX, Kevin and Blanca Rackley of Midland TX, Kye and Heather Henington of Burneyville OK, Canon and Ellie Church-Rackley of Chesterfield MO;  great grandchildren, Zane Cooper, Colten Empey, Tana Rackley, Jarek Henington, Bryce Rackley, Hadley Langston, and Nikolai Rackley; sister and brother-in-law Juanita and Jack Holland of Burneyville, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jim and Jean Keller of Sacramento CA, sister-in-law Debra Keller of Rubottom, and sister-in-law Geneva Keller of Blytheville AR.

Active pall bearers will be Kye Henington, Shane Rackley, Cody Langston, Kevin Rackley, Zane Cooper, Colten Empey, and Jarek Henington.

Honorary pall bearers include Jack Holland, Jerry Henington, Ronny Langston, Mike Bridges, Jim Nivens, Cody Steele, Mark Littlechild, Charles Willis, Monte Dinwiddie, Dewey Hicks, Clint Sorrels, Dick Hall, Wes Cain, Caregivers Sherry Miller and Cari Clark, Nurses with Complete OK Hospice, and all of his Turner bus kids and fellow students.