John Stephen Buck

"Allow the light and the healing presence of Christ to shine brightly through your lives. In that way, all those who come in contact with you will discover the loving kindness of God."
- St. Pope John Paul II
John Stephen (Steve) Buck passed away peacefully on June 26, 2025, with his wife, Janann Gallagher Buck, at his side. After years of living with the challenges of Parkinson's Disease, Steve is finally free from his struggles.
Steve was born on October 28, 1953, to John Buck and Billie Jo Bass. He spent his early years in Texas, New Mexico, and Montana where he developed a deep love of the great outdoors. That love became the spark for another lifelong passion- photography. He found joy in capturing the natural world through his lens: the plants, animals, mountains, deserts and oceans that moved him. He became a skilled photographer, and one of his underwater photos featuring a Hawaiian nudibranch was even published in a guidebook, "Hawai'i's Sea Creatures". Over time, his passion for photography turned toward his family. Few things delighted him more than catching his daughters in a perfect moment, one that revealed who they were through a glance, a smile, or a candid expression. The Gallagher Buck home is filled with these cherished images, each one telling a story only Steve could have captured.
Another of Steve's great loves was skydiving. You didn't have to know him long before hearing one of his many skydiving stories- always told with sparkle and infectious enthusiasm. His skydiving escapades were legendary. That chapter of his life-- full of risk, camaraderie, and adventure remained close to his heart for the rest of his days.
After graduating from high school in Lewistown, MT, Steve attended Montana State University, followed by dental school at the University of Washington. Ultimately, he received his periodontal training at Naval Postgraduate Dental School in Bethesda. His training and education led to a life of military service. He was commissioned in 1982 and worked in general dentistry and as a periodontist. His duty stations included Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, USS Acadia, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Naval Station San Diego, Bethesda Naval Hospital, El Toro Naval Air Station, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Naval Station Pearl Harbor, from where he retired. He took great pride in his work and was unstinting in his dedication and work ethic. Steve considered it an enormous honor to serve.
Steve found joy in his family. Some of the most meaningful moments of his life were making mission trips into Mexico with his daughters to build houses and to provide dental care to those in need. Family vacations always meant playing together: snorkeling, paddling, sailing or enjoying a mean game of Hearts. He also enjoyed volunteering for Meal on Wheels and often took his wife, daughter, and granddaughters along with him.
Steve had opportunities for career advancement, but often they would have meant leaving Hawaii, which he was unwilling to do. He loved living in Hawaii. He spent every possible moment at the beach, in the water, paddling, or hiking. He was deeply grateful to be able to raise his children and work in a place he cherished so much.
Steve was preceded in death by his own parents, John Buck and Billie Jo Bass, his parents-in-law, Charlie and Janet Gallagher, and his infant son, John Patrick Buck. His memory lives on in his surviving family members, his wife of 44 years, Janann Gallagher Buck, their daughter Susan and her children, Harlee, Kalia, and Grayson, their daughter Kelly, Brey Richardson and their children, Ke'alohilani and Kameailokomaika'i. He is also survived by his brother-in-law John Gallagher and John's sons, Patrick and Michael. Steve leaves behind brothers Mark Buck and his wife Holly and their children Rachael (Oscar) Hernandez and Ryan Buck, and brother Matt Buck and his wife Jewels Buck and children Jake Buck, Lindsay MacDonald, and Cory and Luke Bullen. Also surviving are his sister, Diane Schott and her children, Laura Boies-Catt (Justin), Lucas (Megan) Schott, and Billie Jo Schott. His step sister, Barbara (Jerry) Wyatt, and step brothers, Colie, Kurt, Jeff, and Tyler Bass also survive him. He will be well-remembered.
Steve was interred in a private service at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hawaii Parkinson Association (parkinsonshawaii.org) or Parkinson Voice Project (parkinsonvoiceproject.org) in Steve's name. Support of these organizations will help others in the ways that Steve was helped.
Steve was a shining light to all who had the privilege of knowing him. His time on this Earth was marked by love, compassion and unwavering faith in God. It was that faith that allowed him to find joy, even as his adventures became more limited and his disease progressed.
His passing has left a deep void in the hearts of his family, friends, and all whose lives he touched. We ask that you remember him not for the way his life ended, but for how he lived- with love, integrity and a spirit of joyful generosity. Steve was an all-around good guy.
Steve's family is profoundly grateful to his friends, New Hope Bible study group (The Prayer Warriors), caregivers, extended family members, and his neighbors who stood by him as his life became more and more diminished. They take comfort knowing that he is in Heaven, completely healed and restored, reunited with his infant son, his dogs, and probably already getting into a little mischief.