David John Bucknavich “Buck”

David John Bucknavich “Buck”, 80, a seasonal resident of North Fort Myers, FL and Punta Gorda (Deep Creek), FL since 1993, passed away Monday, September 5, 2022, in Cape Coral, FL. He was born December 8,1941 in Detroit, MI to Joseph and Lottie Bucknavich, now deceased.

David was of the Catholic faith and attended St. Therese Catholic Church in North Fort Myers. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, godfather, avid sportsman/hunter, marathon runner (10 runs each 26.0 miles) and a courageous firefighter who saved many lives and put out many fires. During his 27-year career with the Warren Fire Department (MI), Buck advanced in rank and retired as Captain in 1993. After moving to Florida, he soon joined the elite team of selfless public servants of the Florida Forest Service as a forest ranger/wildland firefighter to protect the citizens, homes, businesses, and natural resources of Florida.

He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Diane Bucknavich of North Fort Myers, FL; children, LauraAnn Migliore-Nolan (Thomas Nolan) of Cape Coral, FL and Robert “Bob” Bucknavich (Miranda) of Grafton Township, OH; siblings, James “Jim” Bucknavich [(Sylvia, Judy (deceased)] of Auburn Hills, MI, John Bucknavich (Rosie) of Greater Phoenix Area, AZ, and Mabel Jean of Rochester, MI; numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews; as well as grandchildren, Anthony, Joseph, and Daniel.

David was preceded in death by his brother, Norby Andrews (Betty) of Detroit Metropolitan Area, MI and brother-in-law, Robert “Bob” Wachowski (Debbie, Sylvia) of Crossville, TN also deceased.

Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, October 24, 2022 at St Therese Catholic Church, 20115 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers, FL 33903 with Pastor Jan Antonik officiating.

A second memorial service will be held in Clinton Township, MI at a later date. Details to be announced via www.MullinsMemorial.com.

Memorial Contributions in memory of David John Bucknavich are suggested to International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Foundation, 1750 New York Ave NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 or online at https://www.iafffoundation.org. You can also choose the IAFF Foundation on https://smile.amazon.com/charity?orig=%2F and Amazon will donate 0.50% of eligible purchases to the IAFF Foundation. 

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.