Zachary Lawrence Buffkin

Zachary (Zack) Lawrence Buffkin, age 33, passed away unexpectedly on March 18, 2026, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Zack was born on October 4, 1992, at Fort Belvoir Army Hospital and grew up in Northern Virginia and Bermuda, and was the light of everyone's life. He loved and excelled in sports, especially baseball, basketball, and track & field, but his passion was football. He started with McLean Mustang youth football, played offense and defense for Langley High School, and in college he played on the offensive line. Zack committed to Seton Hill University but later transferred to Shepherd University. He was the left guard during Shepherd's most winning football season in 2015, advancing to the NCAA Division II championship title game. Zack earned Conference, Region, and Division II All-American awards for the season.

After earning his business degree, he worked in the Washington DC area for several prestigious firms until deciding to move to the Myrtle Beach area. He met and married the love of his life, Hannah, at Atalaya Castle in 2022, and settled in Charleston where he was a UPS delivery driver.

Zack served proudly in the South Carolina Army National Guard, earning the rank of 1LT. He was the top honor graduate at Officer Candidate School and he completed the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course. During his assignments he earned the Army Achievement Medal and other service awards.

An avid reader and film aficionado, Zack was also an expert in all things Teddy Roosevelt, an inspiration for his love of the outdoors and trail hiking in National Parks and upstate South Carolina. He loved eating brisket, BBQ, and his mom's home cooking. He also loved spending time with his most precious and energetic dogs Sammy, Luna and Atlas.

Zack is survived by his wife Hannah Booth Buffkin (Charleston, SC); his parents Mark and Beverly Buffkin (Pawleys Island, SC); and his brother Beaufort Buffkin and niece Vera (Missoula, MT). He is also survived by his grandparents Ward and Carolyn Buffkin (Florence, SC), his in-laws Dan and Lisa Booth (Worthington, WV), and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, all who loved him dearly.

The family and the SC National Guard will hold a celebration of life on April 11, 2026, place and time TBD.

Donations may be made in Zack's memory to the Concussion and CTE Foundation, or to Stop Soldier Suicide.