SHERMAN - James "Jay" Washington Buckner, born on March 21, 1940, to Opal and Sterle Buckner in Madisonville, Tenn., departed this life at the age of seventy-three years on August 30, 2013 in Sherman, surrounded by his loving family.

Jay married Virginia Leon Marvin on December 19, 1958 at the First Pentecostal Church in Sherman. Married for 55 years, they are lifetime members of Faith Church of Sherman where Jay was the Treasurer for forty-five years. He taught the
High School Sunday School class for many years and was always a faithful and enthusiastic supporter of all church events and activities. Faith Church singers recall that he was always present wherever they sang in the community and to him, they "never missed a note!" "Beautiful, beautiful", he always said. Many of his Sunday School students have fond memories of Jay sliding down the slopes alongside them on ski trips or lending them his restored 1955 Studebaker to take "for a spin." As recently as last month, Jay kayaked down the Mountain Fork River with the young people of Faith Church. An avid traveler, Jay was also an old car enthusiast and lover of jazz. Friends and family remember his assertion that he was "NOT RETIRED!" He truly epitomized "joie de vivre" in all that he did.

Jay graduated from Denison High School in 1958 and attended Grayson County College. He graduated from Austin College with a Bachelors of Arts degree in June of 1964. In August of 1973 he received his Masters of Science from East Texas State University. He opened, "The Gallery", the first art gallery in Sherman and was a favored Art teacher at Sherman High from 1964 to 1973. In 1973 Jay started his career as a State Farm Agent and has remained an honored and respected "good neighbor" agent for 41 years.

A celebration of Jay's life will be held at Faith Church of Sherman on Monday, September 2, 2013 at 2 p.m. followed by interment at Friendship Cemetery. The family will receive friends in the Faith Church sanctuary from 12:30 – 1:45 prior to the service. Reverend Charles Glass, Pastor of Faith Church will officiate. The Faith Church Choir and Orchestra will provide music.

Pallbearers will be Bo Bond, Heath Brown, Seth Brown, Ryan Cernero, Brandon Kumler, and Darrell Richerson. Honorary Pallbearers will be Harold Holder, Bob Loftin, Tommy Rains, Bert Bond, Lester Wilson, and Bob Nunn.

Jay is survived by his loving wife, Virginia, daughter Jenifer Kay Carney and husband Ben of Sherman, and son Jeffery
Jay Buckner and wife Jill of Gunter.

Also surviving are his five grandchildren to whom he was "Gogs": Albert Carney, A. J. Carney, Mackenzie Buckner, and twins Macie and Peyton Buckner who shared the same birthday with "Gogs".