Mary Buffington, 62, Tucson, AZ, formerly of Dale

Mary Buffington, 62, Tucson, AZ, formerly of Dale, IN passed away on Thursday July 21, 2022 at 1:30 pm MST with her husband Gary by her side, after suffering a massive heart attack. Mary was born on September 12 th 1959, in Jasper IN to Edmund (Jack) and Katherine Heeke. She graduated from Jasper High School in 1978. She married Gary Buffington on November 4, 1979 in Jasper.

Mary is survived by her husband Gary of Tucson , three sisters, Carol (Larry) Zehr, Otwell , Linda Trill of Jasper and Rose (Kenny) Leisman of Saint Anthony . She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Bill Heeke and sister Betty Robbins . 

Before retiring and moving to Arizona, she babysat and enriched the lives of many children. She taught at Heritage Hills as a Paraprofessional. She volunteered , coached and directed the Spencer County Special Olympics team for over 10 years. Mary led a Destination Imagination team that went to the World Games twice and was very involved in Upward Bound. Her heart was always geared towards special needs. She loved to travel, to challenge her mind with games, and to spend time with those she loved. 

On September 24th at the Santa Claus United Methodist Church there will be a celebration of life & memorial service for Mary Heeke Buffington. At 9:00 am Central Time , there will be a gathering to look at pictures & share memories to celebrate the life, love & friendships of Mary’s life. At 10:00 am Central Time, the memorial service will begin. During the service anyone who wants to speak & share something will be invited to do so.All are invited to join Gary, her husband, & the family on this day in Mary’s memory. . Memorial donations for Mary Buffington may be made to Indiana Special Olympics or the Dubois County Community Food Bank in Jasper.