F.M. Busby

F.M. BUSBY Most often known as Buz, died on February 17, 2005 after a long illness, leaving many science fiction fans and friends. He was born in Indianapolis on March 11, 1921. His parents were Francis Marion Busby, Sr., and Clara Nye Busby. The family moved back and forth between Indiana and Washington until Buz was 10. Then they lived in Colfax, where Buz graduated from high school and his mother taught English. After high school he attended Washington State College, with two interruptions for military duty. The first was National Guard, where he was a member of Company E. After his discharge, he briefly went back to school, but then joined the Alaska Communication System, which stationed him in Alaska on Amchitka, an island on which, Buz said, all the weather was sideways. After the war, he graduated in engineering, at a time when the country was flooded with brand-new engineers. Asked by the Alaska Communication System to re-enlist, he wrote back asking about openings for civilians. He was hired, and worked for ACS until it was sold to private industry. He found he had enough time in for early retirement, so he took it. At the age of 49, he started a new career as science fiction writer. Nineteen books were published, but then it was ruled that the IRS could tax unsold inventory. His books had sold slowly but steadily, depending more on word of mouth than advertising, so were no longer profitable to publish. His writing career collapsed. He still had his family, his friends, his cats and his hobbies. He was married to Elinor Doub, previously of Tacoma, and in addition to her, leaves a daughter, Michele Rowley, and three grandchildren, Benjamin Busby-Collins, Emily Rowley and Gwendolyn Rowley. Memorial Service will be held Saturday, March 5th at 5 p.m. at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St., Seattle, 98105. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations for Tsunami relief be made to the organization of your choice.