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Obituaries published in the May 2021 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Thomas Addison Buckner III

TEMPLE – Thomas “Tom” Addison Buckner III, 86, a former president of the South Texas Press Association, died April 9.
A native of San Marcos, Hays County, Buckner grew up in the family newspaper business, The San Marcos Record.
Following graduation from San Marcos High, he attended Southwest Texas State University, earning a bachelor of arts degree in English. At SWTSU he served as president of the Alpha Chi academic honor society, president of the English Club and captain of the ROTC rifle team. He was named distinguished graduate of the ROTC program.
He entered the Air Force in 1956. He received his wings as a single-engine jet pilot and served as radar intercept controller in Alaska during his active duty.
Following USAF service, Buckner returned to San Marcos, where he headed the news department and helped manage The Record. He eventually became part-owner and editor of that paper, which became the largest community weekly newspaper in Texas. With Buckner family members, he helped the paper transition into five-days-a-week publication in the early 1970s. 
While with the Record, Buckner was elected president of the South Texas Press Association and was active in the Texas Press Association as treasurer and member of the board. He was on a committee of the TPA that wrote the proposed legislation that became the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Buckner was active in the Texas Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve and retired from military service as a lieutenant colonel in 1984. His military honors included being named the Reserve’s Outstanding Public Affairs Officer (worldwide) in 1975 and receiving the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal. 
Buckner was active in Boy Scouts, serving seven years as scoutmaster, a Cub Scout pack leader, an assistant Explorer advisor both in San Marcos and Georgetown, and as district chairman. He received scouting’s Silver Beaver Award.
Buckner was ordained a deacon in the First Baptist Church of San Marcos where he taught Sunday school for several years.
He helped organize and promote the Texas Water Safari, the world’s toughest canoe race, twice entering that race and finally reaching the finish line in 1969. Among other civic activities in San Marcos, Buckner served as director of the Chamber of Commerce.
While at the Record, Buckner was asked to teach a senior-level course at Trinity University in newspaper management. That experience influenced his decision to become an educator.
After 54 years in business the family sold the Record in the early 70s. Buckner obtained a position at Southwestern University in Georgetown. He served as public relations director and taught a course in reporting. While there, he worked on advanced degrees in mass communication at UT Austin and received a master of arts degree in 1981 and a doctorate in 1988.
In Georgetown, Buckner was elected a director of Georgetown’s Chamber of Commerce. He also served as chairman of the deacons of First Baptist Church, and as president of the Rotary Club.
He fulfilled his goal of teaching journalism at the collegiate level when he became head of the journalism department at McLennan Community College in Waco in 1984. He led his students in winning several awards.
While at MCC he was chosen by the school’s faculty as a candidate for the Piper Award, received a Teaching Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, was named the Outstanding Journalism Adviser by the National College Media Advisers Association, received the Edith Fox King Award for outstanding support of the (UIL) journalism program, served as president of the Community College Journalism Association, and was named to their Hall of Honor in 2001. He also was elected president of the Texas Community College Journalism Association and was active on the board of the Texas Intercollegiate. He retired at the age of 65 after 15 years at MCC.
Buckner and his wife moved to Temple, where he served twice as deacons chairman at Canyon Creek Baptist Church, taught Sunday school, and served twice as president of the local Gideons.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Helen Jones Buckner, whom he married in 1956.
He is survived by two children, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren and other relatives.
Memorial service was held May 1 at Canyon Creek Baptist Church in Temple.
The family requests that memorial gifts be made in his memory to:
• The Gideons through its GideonCards or by sending donations to The Gideons International, P. O. Box 1023, Belton TX 76513. 
• Canyon Creek Baptist Church, 4306 S. 31st St, Temple, Texas 76502, (254) 773-6084, designated for the library or building program, or
• The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS)  https://www.txstate.edu/anthropology/facts/donations/Financial.html.