Bruce Myron Bucher
June 1, 1937 – July 4, 2024
Bruce was born on June 1, 1937 at Shannondale, Missouri, at the mission run by his father, the
Rev. Vincent Bucher, and his mother, Ruth Beam Bucher. After a full life, he had a heart attack
during a stent procedure and died a few days later on July 4, 2024, with his wife and children by
his side.
Between those two events, Bruce lived a life filled with family, friends, and faith. He was born in
a home with lots of love but without electricity or running water in the Ozark mountains. He
attended small rural schools with his siblings and neighbors, and a larger town high school to
which he loved to go for reunions over the years. He knew he wanted to help people by
becoming a physician like his uncle and so attended Park College and the University of Missouri
medical school. After his internships he travelled around the world and served in the Peace
Corps as a physician in the Phillipines. After he returned to the US, he met his wife, Karlynn
Wenger, while getting a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins. After they were
married in 1968, they stayed at Hopkins, and their first daughter, Kimberly Ruth, was born in
Baltimore. Then he worked over the years in academia at the University of Pittsburgh, where his
younger daughter, Kristen Elisabeth, was born, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. But
his heart was in primary care, taking care of patients. So, he decided to go into private practice.
In deciding where to settle, he and Karlynn found Tappahannock, Virginia, which was near her
parents. Tappahannock had a good hospital and the community needed a physician, so they
moved their family to Virginia in 1980. He founded a medical practice that grew over the next
thirty years until he turned over his practice to Bon Secours. He continued to work for Bon
Secours and then the free clinic before he fully retired in 2017 after practicing medicine for more
than 50 years. He loved the practice of medicine and he loved his patients.
He made the most of his retirement years, spending time with his children and grandchildren.
The last few years he was able to immerse himself in Bible study which he loved. It was Bruce’s
greatest joy to join with others in learning more about Jesus Christ. He was an active member of
Beale Memorial Baptist Church.
After having traveled the world and much of the country, he most enjoyed the simple things in
life. Bruce was most happy sitting on his back porch, watching the river, reading a book,
listening to music, and reminiscing about his dear family, friends, and his long life. He enjoyed
planting flowers and watching hummingbirds. It was not uncommon to see him on his small
tractor. He was happiest when the whole family gathered for holidays at their home. And he had
family with him as he passed into eternity.
Bruce is survived by his wife, Karlynn Wenger Bucher, his daughters, Kimberly Maher (Marcus),
and Kristen Hahn (James); his older brother, Norman Bucher, and his younger sister, Carol
Washburn; his grandsons, Jonathan and Thomas Maher, and Patrick Hahn; many cousins, and
nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on July 13, 2024 at 11:00 am, at Beale Memorial Baptist Church
in Tappahannock, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Beale Memorial
Baptist Church to support home and foreign missionary projects.
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