Charles "Buck" Wesley Keagy, 90, went to his Eternal Rest on October 2, 2024. Buck was a proud resident of Springfield, Missouri for 32 years.

He was born to Charles Franklin Keagy and Grace Victoria (Honodel) Keagy on the 2nd day of July, 1934, in Waynesboro, PA.

After graduating high school in 1952, Buck attended a television/radio tradeschool. He then opted to join the United States Air Force and served from 1953 to 1957, advancing to the rank of Staff Sergeant. While stationed in Wichita, KS, Buck met his beautiful wife, Patricia Jane Mahaffy, at Hyde Park Methodist Church, where they would later marry on August 25, 1956.

Upon completing his military service, Buck and Pat moved to Rochester, MN, where they were active members of Christ United Methodist Church for the next 35 years.  Buck began his professional career at Waters Conley, but would soon join IBM where he worked until his retirement in 1992. Minnesota had an abundance of hunting and fishing locations, of which Buck indulged. He was also a very talented taxidermist. He never advertised, but was busy year-round simply due to word of mouth. He often donated his mounted animals to Quarry Hill Nature Center and performed numerous taxidermy demonstrations/animal education classes onsite.

Following his retirement from IBM, Buck and Pat opted to relocate to Springfield, MO. Buck loved his new community and volunteered his time in several capacities. He was a docent at Wonders of Wildlife, a faithful member of Schweitzer Church, and initiated a neighborhood monthly breakfast club that still exists today. Buck was a certified Master Naturalist and provided his expertise at the Springfield Botanical Gardens (Butterfly Festival/Roston Butterfly House), Missouri Prarie Foundation, and the Springfield Nature Center/InsectoRama program. He also testified before the Committee of Tourism and Natural Resources on a house bill that would designate the Regal Fritillary as Missouri's official state butterfly. Using his homemade tree planting device, Buck fulfilled his vision of planting 85,000 acorns within a 250 mile radius of Springfield. He proudly proclaimed that even though he wouldn't be around to enjoy the beauty of this massive endeavor, that generations of Missourians would. Buck was a magnificent artist, in a wide range of mediums, with wildlife and nature being his favorite subjects. In 2009, he was granted a patent for his invention pertaining to sculpture in motion. Buck is additionally known for his "Buckism's", unique sense of humor, in-depth knowledge of astronomy, spectacular gardens, intricate flower arranging, creative writing, spending many hours on his front yard swing greeting neighbors as they passed by, believing all of life's events are predestination, and his unwavering Christian faith.

Buck was very recently preceded in death by his beloved wife, Pat, of 67 years. Left to treasure Buck's memory are his three daughters and son-in-law: June Keagy of Springfield, MO, Rose Keagy of Dallas, TX, and Ann (Rick) Zacharias of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; four grandchildren: Stephanie (Randall) Willoughby of MO, Mary (Joseph) Kohan of FL, Kathryn Zacharias of CA, and Steven Zacharias of CA; five great-grandchildren: Kalen Willoughby, Gavin Willoughby, Asher Kohan, Noah Kohan, and Eden Kohan; brother: Dave (Ginny) Keagy of NE; neice: Lisa (David) Dobbs of FL; and nephew: Jason (Mayme) Keagy of WI.

A memorial service, with military honors, will take place at Missouri Veterans Cemetery (5201 South Southwood Road in Springfield) on October 9, 2024, at 2:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to Springfield Botanical Gardens (friendsofthegarden.org), Schweitzer Church (schweitzerchurch.com), or Quarry Hill Nature Center (qhnc.org).