Buford Chester

Buford “Red” Chester, 87, moved from this earth to his heavenly home on the evening of October 4th, 2022 at the home of his daughter, Gail Chester Jeanis in Dallas, Texas. Buford was born on May 28, 1935 in Floyd County, Kentucky. He was the fourth child born to Clayton and Opal Benton Chester. Buford was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 64 years, Barbara June Chester (11-30-21), his parents, Opal and Clayton, his brother James and sisters, Dean and Helen. His brother Chad, died less than 2 1/5 hours after Buford in the early morning of October 5, 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma at his home. The entire family is now together.

Buford is survived by his children and their families. His first child, Gail Chester, her husband Dal Jeanis and their son, Alexander Jeanis. He is also survived by his first son Jeremy Chester, his wife Samantha and his three children Caitlin Sowell (Rob), Rachael, and Lucas (Avery). Buford is also survived by his second son, Dan and his wife Kathleen and their children, Alexandria, Storm, Thomas and Elliana.

Buford is survived by nieces and nephews, Clay, Cathy and Frank who are his brother James’ children; Elizabeth (deceased), David and Dustin and Chris, who are his brother’s Chad’s children; Candy, Ann, Judy, Doug, Jimmy and Jeff, who are his sister’s Dean’s children; and Bill (deceased), Bob, Connie (deceased) Rick, Randy, and Carla, who are his sister’s Helen’s children.

Buford’s grandchildren and great grandchildren, whom he was so proud of, survive him and are in order of age, Alexandria, Caitlin, Rachael, Storm, Lucas, Thomas, Alexander, and Elliana. Buford’s four great grandchildren, Isaiah, Caleb, and Elliott are the children of Caitlin and Rob Sowell. Baby boy Chester will join Lucas and Avery Chester in late December, 2022.

Buford is also survived by his devoted caregivers, Dorothy Johnson and Misty Taylor and his friend, David Carter, who was like a brother to him.

Buford’s father, Clayton, was a coal miner and his mother, Opal, was a fantastic southern style cook, as her biscuits could be used as valuable trades. Their 5 children grew up in coal mining company towns where the miners were paid in company dollars and only redeemable in company owned stores. Clayton sought to provide a better life for his family and

moved to the Dayton, Ohio area to get a better job in the factories. Buford or “Little Red” as they all called him, worked various jobs to help the family, like delivering newspapers on routes before school started. In school he was best known as a state ranked basketball player in Ohio and class president in his high school.

Buford joined the Army Artillery division after school and quickly moved up to the rank of Sargent and played basketball for the Army. After getting out of the service, he worked at NCR and played semi-pro basketball. There he met his wife, the love of his life, Barbara. Red was determined to get ahead, so he worked at night while attending classes during the day, graduating with honors with a B.S. in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Dayton, all while being married and being a father to three young children.

Red’s first job after college was with Owens Corning Fiberglass. He then worked for McCall Printing Corporation and then North American Rockwell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Working continuously on his MBA, while commuting to classes on the weekend, Red graduated with this degree in 1969 from the University of Dayton.

Red’s work ethic and ambition helped him climb his way up the corporate ladder from controller to CFO, then President and Board Member of public and private companies. He had a reputation for turnarounds in the manufacturing sector and worked for Allis-Chamlmers, Youngstown Sheet and Tube, Whittier Metals, Essex Wire, and GreyHound Bus, among others.

After decades of corporate work he decided to buy his own smaller business, purchasing the brand, Katy’s Bread, an organic bread manufacturer. He then sold that business and returned to corporate life as the President of Wanderlodge, a division of Blue Bird Bus. He then worked for several years for River City Products, a manufacturing company in San Antonio, Texas.

Later, as a lifelong golfer, and someone who always loved to work, Red took a job at Dick’s Sporting Goods selling golf clubs where he loved helping fellow players “get another 10-20 yards” and was the top seller nationwide at one point and regional salesman several times during his

employment. This employment was a link to his father, who in his post-retirement years had worked at a golf course for many years.

Looking back, Red had traveled around the world many times over acquiring companies for his employers and shareholders in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia. He brought back with him wonderful stories of the things he saw, the people he met, and unique gifts and items that he shared with his family and his children. This was something that he had never dreamed he would be doing as a child, who picked up pieces of coal along railroad tracks to help keep his family warm.

Of all these accomplishments Buford would say none were greater than seeing his three children graduate college and move into their own careers to create better opportunities for their lives, their children, and their grandchildren. For him, the power of education was undeniable.

Red walked the imperfect life of a Christian and gave of his time serving as a deacon and lay leader in many churches. He also studied the Bible and Torah and wore both a cross and the Star of David every day for over 5 decades. On the back of the cross, are the names of his wife and children.

Funeral services will take place at Chamberland Funeral Home in Garland, Texas on October 13th at 10 am. The service will be live-streamed with the Reverend Cliff Mouser, conducting the service.

Burial will be at Morris Cemetery in Caney, Kentucky with Herald & Stewart & Halsey Funeral Home of West Liberty, Kentucky in charge of the arrangements. A graveside service will be held on October 15, 2022, at 12:30 pm with Jamie Brunk, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in West Liberty, presiding. The procession will begin at Noon from the Herald & Stewart & Halsey Funeral Home.

A reception for family and friends will take place at the First United Methodist Church, West Liberty, following the graveside service.

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