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Louis Buster “Buck
Louis Buster “Buck” Blake, 91, passed away peacefully at his home in Cushing, Oklahoma Sunday, December 3, 2023.
Buck was born the eldest of two children to Eula and William “Bill” Blake in Okmulgee, Oklahoma on March 14, 1932. He grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from Norfolk High School in 1950.
Buck first attended Oklahoma A&M College and later transferred to Eastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College on a basketball scholarship. In 1952, Buck began the journey that set the stage for his lifelong career; he joined the Aviation Cadet Program of the United States Air Force and graduated as a Second Lieutenant.
During Buck’s time with the Air Force, he served in Korea and Japan, flying the C-119 Flying Boxcar, C-47 Skytrain, F-86 Sabre jet, F-84 Thunder jet, and RF84F Thunder streak. After retiring as a Major, he worked for TWA, partnered in a Cushing Aerial Spraying Company, spent time working in the oil & gas industry, and ultimately joined American Airlines as a pilot in 1967. Buck spent 26 years with American and retired as a Captain in 1993.
Buck married the love of his life, Sunny Mays Blake, in 1960 in Cushing, Oklahoma. Buck adopted Sunny’s children, Barry and Sissy, and their son, Harrison, was born in 1961. They moved to Denton, Texas in 1967, where they raised their kids and were both active with the American Airlines Pilots Association. Deciding on a change of scenery, Buck and Sunny moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1981 where they enjoyed the mountains, good food, and many wonderful friends. On days off from flying, you could find Buck snow skiing on one of the nearby mountains, art shopping with Sunny, or elk hunting with his brother, Bill.
After Sunny’s death in 1993, Buck returned to Cushing and was blessed to meet his second wife, Neta Williams, through their mutual affiliation with the Cushing Lions Club. They married in 1999. Buck and Neta loved to golf and enjoyed traveling the United States in their motor home with friends and family.
Buck was loved by many. He will be remembered for his quick wit, generous heart, and colorful stories about his time as a pilot. He was a longtime member of the NRA, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, F-86 Association, and others. He was actively involved in the Cushing Lions Club and was particularly fond of the KidSight Program. In recent years he enjoyed spending time with his son, Harrison, and family at their ranch in Texas, taking trips to his brother’s cabin in South Fork, Colorado, and solving the world’s problems with dear friends over morning coffee and a side of biscuits and gravy. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Sunny Mays Blake; second wife, Neta Williams Blake; daughter, Sissy Blake Maddux; brother, Bill Blake; nephew, Mark Blake; granddaughter, Maddy Maddux. He is survived by his son, Harrison Blake and his wife Cathy; nephew, Mike Blake; Neta’s three children, Justin and his wife Cindy, Jana, and Jay Williams; grandchildren, Lacy and Will Blake, Molly, Blake, and Macy Maddux; great-grandchildren Braylon Turner, Anna-Claire Maddux, Paisley and Phoenix Nelson. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 AM, December 15, 2023, at First Church of God in Cushing, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cushing Lions Club KidSight Program, PO Box 687, Cushing, Oklahoma 74023 Services are under the direction of Matherly Davis Funeral Home. Condolences can be seen at www.matherlydavisfuneralhome. com
