Edwin W. Buckingham, III

edwin buckingham, iii
Arden ~ Edwin Wheeler Buckingham, III, 79, of Fox Hollow Court, died Tuesday, December 9, 2003 in a local hospital. Mr. Buckingham was born May 17, 1924 in Kashing, China to the late E.W. Buckingham, Jr. and Betty Keniger Buckingham. He was a nuclear design draftsman for Newport News Shipbuilders and was a member of Arden Presbyterian Church. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Thelma Wells Buckingham of Arden; a daughter, Susan B. Towler and husband, David of Yorktown, VA; three sons, Thomas W. Buckingham and wife, Mary of Morven, NC, Kenneth R. Buckingham and wife, Linda of Sanford, NC, William A. Buckingham of Richmond, VA; one brother, Robert A. Buckingham of Chattanooga, TN; two sisters, Katherine Hallissy of Hampton, VA and Betty Parrish of Kents Store, VA; seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday at Arden Presbyterian Church with Rev. Ken Crabb officiating. Memorials may be made to the Arden Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 2215 Hendersonville Rd., Arden, NC 28704 or ABCCM, 30 Cumberland Ave., Asheville, NC 28801. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is in charge of arrangements.

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  1. I worked with Ed at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1982 and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. My deepest sympathy is with you at this time. He will always be remembered for his smile (and bow tie :).

  2. I will always remember Ed with fondness as I recall his kind and compassionate spirit.

    I still retell his story of how the Chinese character for war is made up of two of the characters for woman and a horizontal line as the character for a roof [two women under one roof equals war]

    Also, I recall his telling us it wasn’t his fault if he hit a pedestrian because the front of his car [in the 70’s] said DODGE!

    With sincere sympathy, Ed Guldner

  3. I know that God and his son will help each of you get though this time. However we are glad that now he is with our Father and at peace. If anyone will make God laugh Ed will. Peace be with you!!! Sorry I can’t be with you but I am in retail and this time of year I must be at work. In case you don’t remember me I worked with Ed at Asheville Industries and he did my taxes.
    Take care Love and Peace

  4. Ed was only an acquaintance at Asheville Ind., but I wish I had known of his growing up as an ‘MK’ in China. For sure, it would have been interesting to talk with him about it.

  5. A Time for Sharing a Memory of Sharing

    It was the afternoon of December 25, 1956 (or 1957) when I learned the true meaning of Christmas. An apprentice in the NNS Atomic Power Division at the time, I stopped by the East End home of one of the lead designers; Ed Buckingham. That invariably bow tie-bedecked gentleman to whom I owe a great deal. Not just because of what he deliberately and insistently taught me about piping design, but for the unassuming example of love that he and his lovely wife, Thelma, gave to me.

    I have never forgotten how impressed I was that day by their generosity. Not for welcoming me into their home, filled to overflowing with several offspring, and the traditional sights, smells and sounds of the day; but for their most thoughtful and caring gift of all that year – welcoming an orphan into their home to fully share Christmas Day.

    Somewhere, hopefully, there’s a very successful person with a loving family of his own that remembers on each and every succeeding Christmas their oh-so-special gift to him that wonderful day so many years ago.

    Just as I do, but a mere witness to that simple act of caring, Christian kindness which defines the man whose guidance and friendship I still treasure, and whose loss I now mourn as another Christmas Day approaches’?

    Bill Lee


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