William Everett Buckner, who resided in Charleston, died, Monday, December 16, 2019, at Greenhurst Nursing Center in Charleston. He was born October 14, 1924, in Charleston, to the late Everett Lee Buckner and Lettie (Patterson) Buckner. He was 95 years old. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Smith Buckner; a daughter and son-in-law, Melinda and Edward Pillstrom; a grandson, Thomas Wattinger; a son-in-law, Keith Quick; two sisters, Mary Ann Thomson and Ethel Colvard.

Rosary service will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, December 19th, at Brotherton Funeral Home Chapel in Charleston. The family will visit with friends following the service.

At the young age of 17, Everett lost his father and was immediately thrust into the role of breadwinner for his mother and 5 younger siblings. His dad's concrete finishing crew took him in and taught him the trade so he could provide for the family. He was determined to finish high school and was able to graduate with the Charleston class of 1943. In 1944 he was drafted into the Army, but at his induction ceremony in Little Rock, he was pulled out and moved for induction into the Navy instead where he served as a radarman and gunner on the USS LSM-119. He served in the Pacific and just missed the invasion of Iwo Jima but was later involved in the invasion of Okinawa. In 1946 he was honorably discharged and returned to Charleston. His mother married Leo Gilsinger, a man whom Everett would come to hold in high esteem, and then another child, Nick, was added to the family. Everett had started his own concrete construction company and in 1958 he bought his first Charolais bull and a lifelong obsession with the Charolais breed began. In 1959 he met and married Peggy Smith Higgins and immediately started the expansion of the Buckner clan with Melinda Jane, Melissa Gail, Mary Ann, Manda Lou, Martha Lynn, and William Everett. In 1961 he partnered with Jerry Sweetser, of Fayetteville as Sweetser-Buckner Ready-Mix Concrete, Inc. S & B Ready-Mix had plants in Charleston, Booneville, Waldron, and Huntsville and they also had real estate holdings in NW Arkansas. They worked throughout Arkansas, and in other states and eventually started Sweetser-Buckner Contractors, Inc. and were in business for several years until the partnership was divided with Everett taking control of S & B Ready-Mix and with Jerry taking the real estate business. Later, Everett would meet a new partner, Adrain "Cotton" Fleming, and together they formed Buckner-Fleming Concrete Contractors, Inc. which after Cotton's retirement in 1987 lived on and is now in its current incarnation as Buckner Concrete Contractors, Inc.

He was a tireless leader in the Charleston community by serving a total of 28 years on the city council, he was also on the Charleston school board for 12 years. He served on the Franklin County Library Board and was instrumental in the restoration and remodeling of the old CHS gym into the current Charleston Public Library. He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a proud Democrat and lifelong friend of Governor and Senator Dale Bumpers. He continued to work in the concrete and cattle business up until only a few years ago but was "The Boss" of everyone until his passing. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends with a special mention to John Miesner, Shawn Lovett, Astra Goforth and his companion of many years, Betty Schmalz.

Funeral mass service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, December 20th, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Charleston. Burial, with military honors, will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Charleston, under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home and Flower Shop in Charleston. Officiating the service will be Father Norman McFall.

He is survived by four daughters, Melissa Wattinger and husband Tom of Austin, Texas, Mary Ann Quick of Austin, Texas, Manda Lou Holt and husband Mark of Pflugerville, Texas, and Martha Lynn Hudy and husband Ray of Austin, Texas; one son, William Buckner and wife Lee of Charleston; two sisters, Sue Neissl of Charleston and Betty Holland of Branch; two brothers, Don Buckner and wife Betty and Nick Gilsinger and wife Linda, all of Charleston; eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers are Dwight Pillstrom, Chris Wattinger, Matthew Holt, David Holt, Alec Buckner, Warren Pillstrom, and Baylis Quick.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church; P.O. Box 1087 Charleston, AR  72933 or to the Charleston Public Library; 12 South School St. Charleston, AR  72933.

To view the video tribute, please visit, http://videos.lifetributes.com/1042203

To pay an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com .