I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your thoughts and comments. My parents, family, friends and myself love reading all of your comments. It is amazing the amount of people my husband has touched in many different ways. Thank you for all of your support and incredible kindness during this most difficult time.
I cannot explain to you what this man means to me. He is my life and my time with him was way too short; but we packed a lot in these short years together. I love this man more than you will ever know. He made my life better from our very first date. We knew that first date when it was over we were meant to be together. I have learned so much about life these past four years and John taught me that. No one should ever have to go through what John and I did in the first years of marriage. John no longer has to fight and endure what he has the past four years. His suffering is over and for that I am happy that he doesn't have to take everything he has gone through.
I'm so happy I got him home to where he wanted to be. If the last thing I could do for him was to get home to be with me, our families and friends and most importantly our dogs that he missed so much that makes me feel so much better that I got him there in time.
My life will never be the same ever again but I know he will be with me and never leave my side because that is what he promised to me. I thank God every day for bringing us together I'm still dealing with him taking him from me and I'm sure I will fight with that for a very long time; but one thing I know is that John Buskirk loved me and will never stop. Thank you all for all you have done and continue to do for us.
-Jessica Buskirk
I cannot explain to you what this man means to me. He is my life and my time with him was way too short; but we packed a lot in these short years together. I love this man more than you will ever know. He made my life better from our very first date. We knew that first date when it was over we were meant to be together. I have learned so much about life these past four years and John taught me that. No one should ever have to go through what John and I did in the first years of marriage. John no longer has to fight and endure what he has the past four years. His suffering is over and for that I am happy that he doesn't have to take everything he has gone through.
I'm so happy I got him home to where he wanted to be. If the last thing I could do for him was to get home to be with me, our families and friends and most importantly our dogs that he missed so much that makes me feel so much better that I got him there in time.
My life will never be the same ever again but I know he will be with me and never leave my side because that is what he promised to me. I thank God every day for bringing us together I'm still dealing with him taking him from me and I'm sure I will fight with that for a very long time; but one thing I know is that John Buskirk loved me and will never stop. Thank you all for all you have done and continue to do for us.
-Jessica Buskirk
40 comments:
You are an amazing woman Jessica, I'm so sorry for what you have had to go through. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day! Your husband was an excellent man. I'm happy that he is in a better place now and doesn't have to endure any more suffering. May god be with you and your family.
Jessica,
You are such a strong person, and although I don't know you..I don't think anyone else could've handled such a situation any better. Buskirk was my track coach at Harvey, and was one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. You could tell that he loved what he was doing, and it quickly gained him so much respect from his students and athletes. I can't imagine the pain that you feel right now, but I know John is right there with you trying to help ease it for you. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your families during this difficult time. With sympathy..Ashley Schaefer
Jess,
You are so lucky to have shared the kind of love with John that some people look for their whole lives. It is evident from all the comments from people that know you as a couple that your love and dedication was very special. For that, you are the luckiest woman, even today in the midst of all your grief. Although sometimes we don't understand God's plan, it is obvious you were His choice for John and he indeed made you for one another. Our prayers are with you. Don't ever forget how lucky you are to have shared that kind of love. Faith and Love will get you through even hours as dark as these, and you have alot of both to draw on. We will all miss him with you and his legacy will live on BuzzStrong. :) God Bless
Jess - What a beautiful description of your life together! Jess, you are one of the strongest women I know. I could see the love John felt for you everytime he talked about you. I know your time was short together but it was special beyond what anyone knows.
Love
Marilyn & Mike Scullin
Jessica,
We are so moved by your words about Buzz. You two truly had and always will have such a special love. We should all only be so lucky to have that in our lives and the strength you so tirelessly and gracefully show each day.
We have been keeping up with everything you and Buzz have been going through from all of your postings. And want to thank you for doing so as it allows us to share with you in this most difficult time and to send our love and support.
As with so many others, Buzz also greatly touched our lives. There is no doubt he was, and always will be, an inspiration to those near and far. He has brought more light and happiness to others than we may ever know but are thankful to have been blessed with having him in our lives.
Someone told me once that God only gives us what He thinks we can handle… so you and Buzz must be infinitely strong in His eyes.
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with you, the families and Buzz - now and forever.
With all of our love,
Elisa & Andrew Wyman
Jessica,
I have never met you, but I think of you all the time. John and I were buddies in college and had many a history class together. He was one of the few people at Gettysburg who had absolutely zero pretense and just lit up whatever room -- or bar! -- he walked into. I have such fond memories of him and he often made me laugh.
Quality trumps quantity. While your time together on Earth was too short, the life you built together and his amazingly strong spirit is surely a formidable catalyst as you begin to move forward.
My love and prayers to you and your family. May each passing day get easier for you.
Jessica,
I would like to offer my most sincere thoughts and prayers to you, your family, and the Buskirk Family. I was fortunate enough to have John as a Coach at the College of Wooster. Yes, I put Coach in captials becuase what John did was so much more than just coach football players he Coached young men in life and for that I am truly blessed to have known John.
Kind Regards,
Jeremi Woodruff "Woody"
College of Wooster
Fighting Scots
Not much to say than that you are stronger than i was when the same happened to me last year. You had a good life with him, and He decided it was time for him to go home. Where he will be happy, no suffering any more. Where from, he will take care of you and your family.
You are an example of strength and faith. Thank you for that.
My prayers for you and your family from my heart!
Jess -
The one thing that always struck me was the strong love that you two shared.
I know without a doubt that John loved you more than anything.
Your courage and strength during this time is so remarkable. I'm not quite sure I would be able to keep going like you did.
And you are right - John will always be right by your side and your heart will always be full of his love.
God bless you, Jessica - you are a very special woman.
Jess, you are an inspiration to wives everywhere. You two have gone through so much in your time together, but the one thing that always endured was your love for one another. Don't ever forget that, and for all the tough times, I am sure there are hundreds of good times that made it all worth while. Love ya tons - stay strong, there's no point in stopping now. Steph
We are all so sorry for your loss. for a mother to lose a son is just heartbreaking. For his brothers to lose their brother is heartbreaking, and for you Jessica to lose your husband who you loved so much is devestating. Remember his love and devotion to you all, May God give you all peace and strength during this most diffucult time.
20,000+ hits on a blog can attest to the enormous impact you both have had on so many. I see in these posts the celebration of the virtues of a real hero - one who fought courageously and one who knew when to let God's Will be done. May you continue to find peace and comfort in these sincere tributes, thoughts and prayers.
God Bless,
Michael Andersen and Family
St. John '85
Jess, Thank you for sharing your love story and John with us. You two are an inspiration to couples everywhere. Your love for each other will carry you through this difficult time. As we read the comments posted we realized John touched more people in his short life than others will throughout their entire life! What an amazing man he was. All our love to you, your family and the Buskirks.
Sean & Lisa
Jessica,
I do not know you nor did I know John, but your story has had my attention from the beginning. May God bless you and your families today and through the coming days, weeks, and beyond. You are a very strong lady.
God Bless,
Karen Coutts
Jessica, you don't know me, but our moms work together and she has kept me updated on occasion, about you and John. I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. You have a wonderful family and friendship network that is amazing to me, just from everything I've read. I hope that God will give you comfort in the coming months, and please know that you have a lot of people praying for you -- even people you don't know personally. Maybe God bless you. Jill (Naylor) Kauffman
Jessica,
You really are an incredible, beautiful, and strong woman! The self-less acts of love that you show are an inspiration to so many people. I pray that the love and faith that you have remains despite the unimaginable losses you have experienced over the past few weeks. If God brings you to it-he will see you through it. Many co-workers/friends of yours (past and present) are thinking about you and praying for you.
CMD
I love you, Jess. But you already know that!! You are a true friend and a genuine person. John always told me how lucky he was to have you in his life. I feel as lucky to have you in mine. Thank you for all the fun memories we made with John. He was a wonderful man!!
Jeannie
Here's to Kate Buskirk - a remarkable man could only come from a remarkable mother. And to Bill, you gave of yourself to try to help your brother. Without batting an eye you were there, knowing he would have done the same. And Jessica - an inspiration.
May God bless all of you during this difficult time. But rest easy knowing that John is free from this disease. Peace without pain - it's what we all pray for.
Jess:
Never got to know you personally very well, but I know what Buzz thought of you, so that is all I need to know!! Thanks for being "the one" for him, and for everything you've done for him. Also, your determination and commitment has motivated our entire school to get involved with cancer awareness and community service. Steph and I probably would have never started without the impetus from you and Buzz. His influence will live on!
As I always told him....KEEP POUNDING!!!
BUZZSTRONG FOR LIFE!!!
TJH
Jessica,
My wife and I have never met you and we had not seen Buzz in quite some time. We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Buzz, but we wanted to let you know that we are keeping you and your families in our prayers.
Buzz was a tremendous man. He touched all of those around him with his attitude, sense of humor and humility. I feel fortnuate to have been his fraternity brother and to have shared in his life, and truly regret having not seen or spoken with him for many years. My wife, Meridith, had several classes Gettysburg and they too developed a friendship, as most did when they met Buzz. Buzz will be dearly missed but he will always remain in our hearts and minds.
In reading the entries on this Web site it is evident how many people Buzz has touched over the years and will continue to touch, and it is also evident how fortunate Buzz was to have met you. You are clearly a very special woman, and we will keep you in our prayers during this difficult time.
Scott and Meridith Cowperthwait
Mrs. Buskirk, you and I have never met in person, only through words from others who I am sure at times wasn't always nice. I am the Coach who replaced your husband at Harvey High School. When I accepted that position unknown to others I called your husband and asked him if he thought I should take over for him, and he said that "I was the right man for the job and that he thought I could take the kids to the goals that he had set for them." You see, for me it was important to have his blessing before I took that post mainly because his players loved him, they respected him and they knew that he loved them back and if he thought that I was fit to replace him then I had to take it. I called him because I knew that soon every wolf and vulture would be out planting seeds of hate to divide the two of us but what those people didn't realize was that we both had the same vision, the same goal, to see boys become men through the game of football. It hasn't been easy these last three years here at Harvey because I have had to duck and dodge bullets from those same vulture type people who have painted me as the bad guy. But in my mind these three years are nothing compared to what Coach had to go through. You see love is what made him who he was as a man. Love is what all of his players and coaches learned from him. Love is why we are all so sad over his passing. He and I ate dinner together and we played poker which gave us both the chance to become transparent for each other. I left those moments knowing that Coach "is a good dude", "Coach is a good poker player" and that we had a lot in common. It was a relief for me that he didn't believe all the negative things that were being said about both of us. God didn't let lies pit us against each other, God didn't let us walk away from each other not knowing that we both care...I am not dumb enough to ever think that the Championships that we won here at Harvey in 2006 & 2007 were not bred from the hard work and dedication and LOVE that your husband put in...I just did what he asked me to do, to finish it for him and I did! I finished it because he asked me too and because I wanted to for me. I appreciate what you have done as a wife of a coach. I appreciate the time that you gave him to do what we (men) consider our lifes work (football). I appreciate the way that you stuck it out in the fourth quarter of his life and went for the win and not the tie becuse your husband was a winner! And one day life will brighten back up for you because men like John Buskirk can hold up the sun...Devlin Culliver
Mr. Buskirk was a great person and teacher! I had the pleasure of having him as my freshman world history teacher. It was only for a semester due to his illness, but in that time I had a great time in his class! Mr. Buskirk was always having fun with us all and he always had a big smile on his face! He was awesome! I couldn't believe it when we were told he had cancer and wouldn't be back that year. I missed him as a friend and teacher so much! Then he just kept fighting and fighting and was back here at Harvey last year! I am now a senior and to me you both are an inspiration to anyone for how strong you are! Mrs. Buskirk you and you're family will be in my prayers forever! You are an excellent woman! May god be with you and you're family, and thank god that Mr. Buskirk does not have to suffer anymore. He is in a much better place where he can be with you forever!
-Michael Thompson
Jessica,
Please know that though your time with your husband was brief.......and I am sorry for that, you were very lucky to have shared such a love that many do not ever have in an entire lifetime. I know that does not make anything better or make any sense. He was an extremely unique individual but so are you and you will get thru this by the graces of God. The love you two shared will never pass and know that you two are blessed and have blessed those lives that you have touched thru your strentgth, kindness and love. May God bless you and all of your families. Take one day at a time girl.........
D
Jessica,
your husband was one of the greatest men i have ever known. I was a freshman at harvey and playing softball at the time that buzz wrangled me into throwing the discus for the harvey girls track team, a year later i would be setting the school record because of him, and 4 years later, i would be attending college to coach like he did. He was an inspiration to watch and truly cared about his athletes and students. Like Ashley said, he loved what he did and he will continue to be one of my driving forces to finish college and continue what he taught me.
He was the best coach i ever had and i'm sorry for your loss. But it seems that you have found the silver lining in all this, he isn't suffering anymore. Thank you for keeping the blog, it meant a lot that i could check up on coach. My deepest sympathies...Abby Miller
Dear Mrs. Buskirk,
I just wanted to let you know what Coach Buskirk means to me. If it wasn't for him I may not be where I am right now which is pursuing my college football career. If Coach Buzz did not have faith in me to start me as a young sophomore at quarterback I may have never played the game after that year. I know Coach loved football and he was a great coach as well as a great man. He has had an influence on so many people and I feel blessed to say I knew him as a coach and as a friend. He would often see me in the hallways and ask how I was doing and how school was. He cared for everyone and even through tough times always had a smile on his face. I will keep you and your family in my prayers and send you my deepest sympathy and condolences in this tough time. Mick Mohner
It's okay to be mad at God...I am, too...I don't think we'll ever truly grasp why this had to happen to you and John...
Jessica,
My Prayers are with you, through this diffucult time for you and your family! Mr.Buskirk was my History teacher at Harvey, he was an amazing teacher, he always picked on me for my clumbsiness, I always looked forward going to his class! Again my heart goes out to your family!!
God Bless you
Christen Evans
Dear Jessica,
I would like to express how sorry I am for your loss. Mr. Buskirk was a great man and teacher. I had him for senior history. He was so funny and energetic. He really cared about all of his students. I remember one time in class he separated me and Nicole because we talked to much. But he gave in and let us sit by each other again. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am and I wish you the best in the future to come. My prayers are with you.
Love Always,
Laura Criss
Jess, I can only imagine what the last four years have been like for you and how heavy your heart must be now. You and John packed more love into a few short years than most couples share in a lifetime. You have been an inspiration to me and I only wish I had gotten to know you both before he got sick. Although you have many family and friends to see you through this tough time, I know John will be there for you, too.
Blessings,
Cathy
Jessica,
I had the pleasure of battling against Coach Buzz everyday in practice my senior year at the College of Wooster. He was inspirational and motivated all of us to be a better player and person. As my career moved on and I became a coach, John was always encouraging and supportive as we crossed paths many times at various football clinics. My heart goes out to you and the rest of John's family. God bless.
Ed Ralls and the Orange High School football staff.
Jessica, I first met John when he hired me to be an assistant coach under him at Harvey. He was the most intense man that I ever met. He was consumed with Football, he poured his heart and soul into football. Being much older than him we talked often about having more of a balance in life, than just football. Then he met You, and from that day forward
Football took a back seat to his relationship with You. He told me later that for the first time in his life, he did have a real balance in his life. You were the "love of his life", and to be able to have You and still enjoy his love for Football was the best of both worlds. Everyone I know are moved and inspired by You and John, and the journey of your lives together. You and John were Soul mates, and it is very rare to ever find your true soul mate in life. You and John have been such an inspiration to me over these past 4 years. John was there for me when I was almost killed in a car crash. He even kept my on his staff knowing I was only 70% healed. Which wasn’t a popular decision, but he didn’t care what anyone else thought. He was also there for me during my divorce.
Jessica, I will never ever forget him, and the impact he made on my life. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you, now or in the future.
I love you both. Frank Mihalic
PS: You will see him again someday...
Jessica,
I have known John most of his life but have never had the privilege of meeting you, after reading your last posting there really isn't much for me to say. I know John will always be with you and I pray you will always be blessed.
Thank You for making John so happy.
Jess - Although I have never met you, my heart continues to go out to you. I will be thinking about you over the next two difficult days as you say your final goodbyes, and through the many weeks, months, and years. John has touched many, many lives and it is quite obvious. His memory will continue to live in each one of us and we are all better people for having known him. Thank you for sharing John with us through the many email updates and most recently this blog.
May you find peace. With our deepest sympathy,
Andrea (Dre) & Evan Burlew
Jessica,
There is a reason you were brought into each other's lives. For Buzz..that is so apparent. You were his rock, his inspiration, and the reason he was able to fight that long. As many people have said here, you are an inspiration to all wives out there, and really all people who are taking care of others who are fightingany kind of illness. You should be really proud of yourself. God meant for you to be that person and although you feel mad at him now...I think we all have bit of that from this situation...he has some plan for you too. I know he will continue to guide you and protect you.
You are an amazing woman, I don't know you, but I knew Buzz. I can see why he loved you so.
May this weekend start to bring some closure and hope to you and your families.
Sincerely,
Melissa Massett
Jessica,
Even though your time with Buzzy was short, you were truly blessed to have the opportunity to share your life with such an amazing man! Time will heal your heart but will never erase the incredible memories you shared.
Even though John and I lost touch after high school, I can't express to you how grateful I am to have had the chance to visit John during his final hours and say goodbye. I will hold this special moment in my heart forever and never forget it.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Stay strong and God Bless!
With Love,
Luciana
Jess, I do not know you or John but have been following the site through a mutual friend. I am so sorry for your loss. This passage was shared with me during a very difficult loss and I would like to share it with you:
Those we love can never really leave us. We feel their presence, like a gentle touch, whenever we remember moments shared and do again the things they loved to do. In so many ways, they remain with us, their gentle spirits part of all we do and all we are. It matters not how long a star shines. What is remembered is the brightness of its light.
You are in my thoughts and prayers!
I am deeply sorry for your loss and will keep you in my prayers for years to come, Mr. Buskirk was by far one of the most influential teachers I had at Harvey and I am happy that his suffering has come to an end. I hope you and your new family the best in years to come as I am sure Mr. Buskirk will be watching over you.
Mr. Buskirk you are home now with your heavenly father out of pain and suffering. I know you are looking down on each and every one of us smiling with that great big smile you always had on you face. I want to let you and your wife know how glad I am that I got to meet you. And had the honor of having you for a history teacher. Jessica sorry for your loss. Always remember god loves each of us and Mr. Buskirk is always and forever in your heart. And waiting to reunite with him. God Bless you and the families. -Maria McGee
Dear Mrs Buskirk
Words can not describe the amount of love and respect I have for you and Mr Buskirk. Both of your actions are a driving force and inspiration to me. Coach did so much for me and I hope he new how much I cared for everything I did. He talked me into playing football when I thought I was sick of it, to only show me the fun that I thought couldnt be had in the game. Anything I did in school or outside of it, one of the first people to recognize my accomplishment was Coach. He cared for all of his athletes and again did so much for us, it was amazing. Coach you will never be forgotten and your actions will continue to be a driving force in my life. John Rowan
Jessica,
I had the pleasure of knowing both you and John in at SJH! I recall being in class with John in Ms. Larson's Algebra class. He always made us laugh!
I would hear updates from my Aunt Jen Allan about how John was doing. As I read about your stories, his courageous battle, your committment to him, I see how much he will be missed.
You and your family will be in my prayers and I know that the love you are surrounded by will help you get through these tough times.
With deepest sympathy, Laura Latkovich (Severino)
Post a Comment