Steven E. Buck

Steven E. Buck passed away on April 30, 2022, at Genesis Hospital in Zanesville, Ohio. He was 71. Steven was born on April 11, 1951, to Samuel Buck and Joan Belt Buck Lemmon in Washington Court House, Ohio. When his father passed, Steven was fifteen and the eldest of five siblings: Carol, Robert, Stanley, and Martha. His Scout Troop in Upper Arlington, Ohio, helped fill the massive hole left from his father’s passing, and Steven never forgot how much this meant, which is why he dedicated a great portion of his adult life to volunteer for Scouts. He was fond of “What Matters” by Forest Witcraft (October, 1950, Scouting Magazine):

A hundred years from now

It will not matter

What my bank account was,

The sort of house I lived in,

Or the kind of car I drove.

But the world may be different, because

I was important in the life of a child.

Steven was a 45 year member of the Muskingum Valley Scout Council and served as a Den Leader, Scoutmaster, Committee Chair, Executive Board Member, and Council President. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, James West, and Outstanding Eagle Scout as an Adult Award. He was most proud of his three children, Benjamin, Joseph, and Robert, who all obtained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Steven met the love of his life, Cynthia, at YMCA Camp Tockwogh in Worton, Maryland, in 1970. He proposed by explaining he would dedicate one day a week for Scouting. They were married for nearly 50 years after exchanging vows at the Newark United Methodist Church in Newark, Delaware, on May 27, 1972. Steven loved and was proud of his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren: Benjamin, Joseph (married to Amie, daughter Zaela), and Robert (married to Alicia, sons Brendan and Caleb). Steven was also a foster parent for nine years. He loved bouncing children on his knee, singing songs, and telling horrifically bad puns.

Steven graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1968 and went on to study at The Ohio State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1972 and then a Juris Doctor in 1975. Steven passed the bar and joined the law firm of Jones, Funk and Payne to practice probate and tax law. Steven was a Referee and Magistrate at the Muskingum County Juvenile Court for 28 years and an expert in family and juvenile law. He respected and loved his colleagues at the court and family firm.

Steven was an active cyclist. He joined the Columbus Council of American Youth Hostels and completed his first 210 mile Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) in 1969, which he did every year for nearly fifty years. The Buck children were often seen pushing pedals behind their dad and mom on blue tandem bicycles. Steven wore hockey helmets before bicycle helmets were available and enjoyed tinkering with bicycles his entire life. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and skull fracture in 2015 after a terrible bicycle accident in Buffalo, New York. However, this may have prolonged his life as his neurosurgeon discovered an aneurism. This accident helped Steven appreciate every day he had in the last seven years.

Steven had fond memories of farm life from his childhood, especially Oliver Tractors, so his “mid-life crisis” was buying a hobby farm. He planted fruit trees and enjoyed the company of his neighboring farmers, who would make hay in the big field.

Steven taught Sunday School and was a Stephen Minister for many years at Central Trinity United Methodist Church in Zanesville, Ohio. He loved the Lord and would think about Bible verses deeply. On his farm there is a special green bench with Isaiah 40:30-31 inscribed in the anchoring concrete:

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

The bench is a good place to sit and contemplate the power of prayer and the works of the Holy Spirit. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Muskingum Valley Scout Council or any organization that works to make a difference in the lives of children.

Friends and family may call from 4:00 – 8:00 P.M. on Friday, May 6, 2022 at the BOLIN-DIERKES FUNERAL HOME, 1271 BLUE AVENUE, ZANESVILLE and one hour prior to the funeral services to be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Central Trinity United Methodist Church, 62 South Seventh Street, Zanesville with Rev. John Exman and Rev. Jon Carter officiating.  Graveside services will be held at 2:30 PM Saturday at Somerford Township Cemetery, London, Ohio.

To send a note of condolence, or to order flowers or comfort food: visit www.bolin-dierkesfuneralhome.com, follow us on Facebook, or call our professional staff at (740)452-4551.