DONALD BUCHTA

Donald William Buchta of Neenah, WI and Sanibel Island, FL died peacefully at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, with his family at his side, after suffering a stroke on June 4 at home. Donald was born September 15, 1923 in Chicago, IL, the son of Frank and Adela (Voss) Buchta. The family moved to Milwaukee, where Don attended high school. Following his graduation from Wauwatosa High School, he attended Carroll College for two years, after which he entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He spent three years in the Corps in this country and at the end of World War II in France and North Africa re-establishing communications. Don entered the University of Wisconsin on the GI Bill and finished a degree in chemistry. There he met the love of his life, Phyllis Jacobson, whom he married on June 26, 1948, after his graduation. They were very happily married for sixty years, until Phyllis passed away in 2008. Following graduation, Don began his career at Marathon Corporation in Neenah. He later joined his fathers company, Textile Kraft Corporation. In 1966 Don and his business partner, Robert Dunsirn, started Mid America Tag and Label Company in Neenah. Don was active in the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute where he served as the president of the association. Don retired shortly after the sale of the company to Menasha Corporation in 1985. Don was involved in his community, serving on the boards of Neenah West National Bank, Theda Clark Medical Center, as chairman of the United Way in Neenah, as a deacon at First Presbyterian Church, a volunteer through the Optimist Club, and as a member and president of the Neenah School Board. Throughout his life, Don enjoyed sailing, hunting, skiing, playing tennis, musky fishing, golf and working in his gardens. Don and Phyllis thoroughly enjoyed their retirement years with many wonderful trips, winters on Sanibel Island, Fl and summers in Neenah. They enjoyed spending time with their family and friends. Since the death of Phyl, Don enjoyed his friends at his cardio-rehab exercise class at Theda Clark, his Thursday lunches with his buddies at North Shore Golf Club, Sundays at church, and his dinners with Tom and Mary and Jeff and Cindy. Don is survived by his four children: Jan (Terry) of Honolulu, HI, Jeff (Cindy) of Neenah, Tom (Mary) of Neenah, and Jim (Leslie) of Plano, TX; nine grandchildren: Peter (Katy), Sonja (Fred), Kristen, Eric (Kristin), John, Jane, Andrew, Claire, and Kaitlyn; two great-grandchildren: Joey and Ella; and two sisters-in-law, June Hansen of Waukegan, IL and Georgia Buchta of Brookfield, WI. He was preceded in death by his wife Phyllis, his parents, Frank and Adela Buchta, his parents-in-law, Harvey and Nell Jacobson, his brother, Franklin Buchta, his brother-in-law, Orville Hansen, and his nephew, Kurt Hansen. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the First Presbyterian Church in Neenah, with the Rev. Richard J. Moore and the Rev. Paul Huxtable officiating. A visitation will be held in the narthex of the church from 9 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in his memory to the Youth Scholarship Fund at the First Presbyterian Church of Neenah. The family would like to thank Dr. Knaus, Dr. Kokontis and their staff and the wonderful nurses and staff of Theda Clark Medical Center and Theda Care at Home Hospice.