Buck Laughlin, 58
F. “Buck” Laughlin, 58, of Red Oak, passed away Saturday, May 21, 2011, at the Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha.
Fred Wayne “Buck” Laughlin was born to Carl “Lucky” and Daisy (Renfeldt) Laughlin on May 4, 1953, in Des Moines.
While growing up, Buck’s family lived in Collins, Marshalltown, and Davenport, Iowa. Buck graduated from Davenport West High School in the class of 1972 and attended Simpson College, where he graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education.
His first teaching job was in Knoxville, Iowa, from 1976 until 1983. In 1983, Buck took a position as Principal at Cumberland-Massena Community School District for three years before moving back to Knoxville where he served as Principal for two years.
Buck moved to Red Oak in 1988 and served as Elementary Principal. Throughout the years, he continued his education and received his Master of Arts in School Administration from Northeast Missouri State University. Buck also took graduate courses through the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Drake University.
Buck was a very active member of the School Administrators of Iowa, was a member of the Statewide Literacy Team, of Buena Vista University Advisory Board, of Green Valley AEA 14 Principal’s Group and served on numerous AEA 14 Advisory Committees.
Buck enjoyed all sporting events, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes. He loved to travel and never missed an opportunity to attend a class reunion.
Buck was committed to Inman Primary School, the students and his coworkers, whom he considered as part of his family. He will be missed by all who knew him.
Buck was preceded in death by his mother, Daisy Laughlin; brothers, Jon and Jim Laughlin; and nephew, David Phillips.
Survivors include his father, Carl “Lucky” (Beulah) Laughlin of Knoxville; sisters, Linda (Larry) McKelvey of Des Moines and Barb (Terry) Ray of Red Oak; brother, Scott (Donna) Laughlin of Muskogee, Okla.; many nieces and nephews; step-sisters, Dorothy (Mike) Larson of Knoxville, Linda (Jim) Mason of Iowa Falls, and Darla Stone of Tonganoxie, Kan.; and many other relatives and friends.
A celebration of life service will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at the Red Oak Community High School Gymnasium with Rev. Dr. George Hooper officiating. Burial will take place at a later date at the Evergreen Cemetery in Collins, Iowa.
Visitation with the family will be from 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, May 25, at Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel in Red Oak. Memorials are suggested to the Buck Laughlin Scholarship Fund.