Mount Pleasant Buckner, Jr., from Austin, Texas, passed away peacefully on April 7, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with Glioblastoma—a hideous form of brain cancer.

Mount (Junior) was born on January 10, 1950, in Waco, Texas, the oldest child of Mount Pleasant Buckner, Sr., and Addie Ruth York, both from Waco. He is predeceased by his father and one of his two sisters, Margret Darlene Reese, from Houston. He leaves behind his wife of twenty-six years, Jacqueline Orr, from Austin; his mother; his other sister, Frances Buckner, from Waco; his three nephews: Jeremiah Ray Buckner & wife Christy, from Waco, Bobby Jo Buckner, from Huntsville, and Daniel Lee Nolan & wife Melissa, from Houston. He also leaves behind nine great-nieces and nephews.

Mount worked as a computer programmer analyst for the state for most of his working life. He enjoyed photography immensely. His forte was portraiture, landscapes and wildlife. Most of the photos on the accompanying slideshow were taken by him. He was a skilled organic gardener—with a special fondness for cultivating hibiscuses and bonsai trees. He was absolutely crazy about cats, being fluent in cat language. He was also a knife collector & sharpener, together with wood carver & whittler; and a talented, very much appreciated self-taught cook. In addition, Mount was a devoted Grateful Dead fan and enthusiastic disc golf player for many years. And last, but not least, he was an avid reader of science fiction, mysteries and fantasy—an enthusiastic fan of Roger Zelazny, J.R.R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie and the like.

In 1998, Mount met Jacqueline, the love of his life, at a Dep’t of Public Welfare late-70s employees’ reunion party—after unknowingly crossing paths with her in the Austin area for years. They married on October 16, 1999. 

Mount was most appreciative of his brother-in-law, William S. Orr, of Kerrville, Texas, whose kind and generous support during hospitalizations and in the home was a tremendous blessing. And a very special thanks go to Dr. Rebecca Fisher and her staff at Texas Oncology for their exceptional medical care; and the incredibly supportive doctors, nurses and staff at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House.

No service or celebration of life is planned at this time. For those who want to make a donation in Mount’s name, either of the following nonprofit organizations would be most fitting: Shadow Cats, in Round Rock—dedicated to improving the lives of community cats through humane advocacy, or the Hospice Austin Fund.