Stephen Joseph Buchok was born on February 28, 1951, to Stephen and Lazeail (Cotton) Buchok in Fort Monmouth, NJ and died November 21, 2016, in Lubbock, TX. Steve’s father was a career serviceman so the family moved often. Early in his career he was stationed in Paris, France, and Steve attended his first school at the age of 4. Later the family returned to the US and lived in Galveston, Texas, followed by his elementary school years in Fairbanks, Alaska. He loved Alaska and the years he spent growing up there. When his father retired from the military they moved to Hawesville, Kentucky. At age 15, he was baptized into the Mt. Eden Baptist Church in Hawesville. He graduated valedictorian from Hancock County High in 1969. He attended Centre College and graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1974, with a BS in Chemistry and Zoology. He spent summers truck farming, the proceeds of which paid for his undergraduate education. In 1977, he was employed as a technician at University of Texas in Galveston, but was recruited to become a graduate student. Steve moved with the team of researchers as they transferred to Columbia, Missouri in 1978. He was then enrolled at the University of Missouri as a graduate student in Comparative Physiology as well as working at the Cancer Research Center. In 1981, he met Joy Van Meter, who was a technician at the Cancer Research Center. They were married March 20, 1982, in Columbia, Missouri. He was also accepted that year into medical school at the University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas. He received his MD from University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio in 1986.His completed his internship and residency in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics in Columbia, Missouri in 1990. He received his ABA board certification in anesthesiology in 1994. He was employed as a staff anesthesiologist at St Mary Hospital in Quincy, IL until 1993. Upon the hospital merger, he worked locum tenens jobs working across the country. In 1995, he moved to Huntsville, Texas, and was Chief of Anesthesiology at Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Due to medical problems, in 1999, he took time off from practicing medicine. However, with time off, he realized that he still wanted to practice medicine. An opportunity to retrain in the field of psychiatry presented itself in 2002, at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in the Department of Psychiatry. The family then moved to Lubbock, Texas in 2003. Steve finished his residency in 2005, and was a staff psychiatrist in the Psychiatry Department at the Health Science Center. He was the student body psychiatrist for Texas Tech Student Health. Due to significant health problems, he retired August 31, 2016. Steve had a deep love for his family. His wife, Joy, was his partner for 34 years. He was very proud of his sons, Aaron and Andrew and their families. He was especially a doting Papa to his two grandchildren, Emily and William. Steve was a man of faith and devoted to helping people and trying to make a difference. Steve was known for his compassion and generosity. He was of the Baptist faith. Steve had a passion for growing plants. He loved to plant trees and he was an avid gardener. He was having a greenhouse built and was looking forward to enjoying his retirement years working in the greenhouse. Other hobbies were collecting fossils and fly fishing. Steve is survived by his wife, Joy Beth Buchok; two sons, Aaron Joseph (Katie) Buchok of St. Peters, MO, and Andrew Stephen Buchok of Lubbock; two grandchildren, Emily and William Buchok of St. Peters, MO; two brothers, Richard (Sharon) Buchok of Lumberton, TX, and Scott (Melinda) Buchok of Fred, TX; sisters-in-law, Karen and Larry Lake of Sedalia, MO, Bonnie Jansen of Fowler, IL; brothers-in-law, Kevin Van Meter of Eolia, MO, Kent and Carol Van Meter of Alliance, NB, and Allen Van Meter of Sedalia, MO; 20 nephews, 22 nieces and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, November 28th at 2:00 p.m. at Arnold Funeral Home in Lewistown, Missouri with interment in Lewistown Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday evening. Plans are pending for a memorial service in Lubbock in January 2017.
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