David Bernard Buus

1943 - 2025

David Bernard Buus, 81, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away on March 7, 2025, of prostate cancer.

He was born on July 22, 1943, to Bernard and Dorothy Buus (née Conkling) in Cleveland, Ohio, the younger brother to his beloved sister, Barbara. He attended Chagrin Falls High School in Ohio and graduated from Niskayuna High School in upstate New York.

Dave attended Yale University; Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in English; and the University of Arizona, where he completed two Master's degrees (one in English and one in Library Science) and coursework toward a Doctorate degree.

After college, Dave stayed in Tucson and worked as a lecturer at the University of Arizona and a teacher and librarian at Pima Community College, where he built the library's collection from the ground up. He later worked at Burr-Brown Corporation, where he was first the company librarian, then the director of Customer Service, and finally a Human Resources manager.

Dave's first wife was Barbara Douglass, with whom he raised two amazing children, Stephanie and Simon. Dave was immensely proud of his children. He and Barbara were happily married from approximately 1964 to 1993 until they, as many couples do, simply grew in different directions.

Dave married his second wife, Karin Lorentzen, in 1997. Theirs was a perfect match, one of the great loves of history. Together they traveled the world, spending significant time on six of the seven continents. (Yes, they went to Antarctica; it was Asia they never got to.) Dave would tell you if there is one thing you must do before you die, it's go to Africa.

Dave was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Barbara; and his first wife, Barbara. He is survived by his wife, Karin; his daughter, Stephanie (Jan), and their children Stella Elisabeth Buus Andersson and Zoe Louise Buus Andersson; and his son, Simon (Tiffany), and their children.

Dave was a brilliant, incisive, artistic, passionate person. He was a Renaissance scholar, painter, sculptor, violinist, drummer, pianist, writer, teacher, librarian, art historian, pole vaulter, mountain climber (he climbed Longs Peak, a 14,256-foot mountain in the Rockies, at age 44), adventurer, woodworker, cook, master bridge player, American Indian art expert, mechanic and quintessential baseball fan.

Dave's passing was sudden and unexpected. He will be deeply missed and there will never be another like David Bernard Buus.