Laverne Buzarde Jr

L.E "Buz" Buzarde, Jr was born March 23, 1933 to L.E and Etta Ferguson Buzarde in Greenwood Mississippi. His athletic prowess earned him the nickname "Fleet Footed Sonny Buzarde" on the high school football fields of Greenwood and Greenville, Mississippi. An accomplished student, Buz graduated from Millsaps College after 2 1/2 years of study with a bachelor's degree in Physics. Emory University awarded him a Masters of Geology 1 1/2 years later.

Buz worked for ARCO, Chevron and Gulf Oil from 1956 to 1973. In 1971, he transferred from New Orleans, LA to Lagos, Nigeria as Supervisor of Drilling Engineering for Gulf. From 1973 to 1976 he was successfully appointed Drilling Manager, Vice President and President of Natomas Company's Indonesian operations, based in Jakarta. In 1979 he was named President of Natomas International Corporation, overseeing operations in Indonesia, the North Sea, the People's Republic of China, Australia and New Guinea. In 1986, Buz transferred to Dallas, Texas as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Diamond Shamrock. In 1987, Buz left Diamond to found his own company Star Oil & Gas.

Buz retired in 1990 and returned to "The Cabin", the Flaming Gorge Acres retreat the whole family has called home since 1979. In 2002 Buz published Oil Patch, a novel of a life in the oil & gas industry. Although accomplished as an athlete, student, author and businessman, Buz's forte was as a family man. He and his wife of 50 years Renee' successfully guided seven children with love, encouragement and a certain amount of expectation. Their dozen grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren remember a powerful loving and inspiring force.

Expectations of success in the Buzarde family did not mean all work and no play. Work hard/Play hard was more the motto. Buz and Renee took the older kids on great adventures as they moved through the world. The younger ones remember "Camp Cabin", where FUN was the name of the game every summer: fishing, floating the Green, boating the Gorge, singing, dancing and watching family movies at "The Cabin".

Buz left us on July 20, 2015. We will miss him.

Buz was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Wanda Buzzarde and his sister-in-law, Verna Henderson Mealer. He is survived by those who continue to be blessed by his influence on their lives: his wife Renee Henderson Buzarde; their children Vern (Rosa) Buzarde, Linda (Cliff) Grua, Lee (Jim) Gagon, Stewart (Kris) Shimmin, Laura Buzarde, Verna Inman, Brett (Karen) Buzarde; Twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren; Nephew Mike Mealer and Brother Dan (Rosa) Buzzarde.

Services for Buz will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday July 23, 2015 at the Ashley Valley Funeral Home. A viewing will be held Wednesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 and Thursday morning 9:45 to 10:45 at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation in Buz's name to the charity of your choice, or to the Uintah School District Foundation, 635 West 200 South, Vernal Ut 84078.

The family would like to express sincere thanks to Dr. Sara Daniels, Rachel, Juliette and the other angels at Good Shepherd as well as to Jake at Ashley Valley Funeral Home. Your kindness and compassion have helped us through this difficult time.