Micheal "Mike" Ray Buford, known to most as "Buford," was born on January 13, 1964, in Fairfield, IA to Don and Lucille Buford. He passed away on April 24, 2026, surrounded by family, after a life he lived exactly the way he wanted to, for better or worse. Buford grew up riding bikes, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with his close brother, Terry Buford. He remained connected throughout his life to his brother Troy Thomas and sister Phylis Hinds. During his school years, he formed lifelong friendships with Marty "Symmonds," Jeff "Harris," and Mike "Osborn," along with many others who became more like brothers than anything else. In school, he wrestled, played football, and spent time in art and auto shop, but those were not the stories he told. The stories he told involved fast cars, loud music, questionable decisions, and nights that started with a plan and ended somewhere else entirely. Hard rock concerts, parties, and time with friends were where he felt most like himself. After graduation, he married Rose Herman, and they had two children, Brandon Charles Buford (Bri) of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and Megan VanBuskirk (Chris) of Lake Anna, Virginia. He often said the birth of his first child was the happiest moment of his life, and that never changed. Life moved the way it does, and after his marriage to Rose, and later Tammy Marsh, he experienced divorce with a level of enthusiasm that only Buford could manage. He eventually settled into bachelor life, which he handled with commitment. Buford worked in warehouse, driving, and automotive sales roles over the years. He was sharp, observant, and rarely interested in doing things the expected way. He had an infectious laugh and a dark, often inappropriate sense of humor that was not for everyone, and was never meant to be. He liked buying cars he probably did not need, listening to music louder than necessary, cooking, fishing, mushroom hunting, and finding reasons to get out instead of staying in. He enjoyed restaurants, amusement parks, video games, and anything that made life feel less predictable. He was also a loyal friend, the kind who showed up, stayed connected, and did not pretend to be something he was not. In later years, he remained very close with friends Jerry Clark, Cindy Kramer, and his cousin, Kim Newcomer. Later in life, he found something steadier in his grandchildren, Meadow Rose VanBuskirk and Summer Ray VanBuskirk, who were named in honor of their grandparents. He was proud of his family and the lives they were building, even if he expressed it in his own way. He loved his son-in-law, Chris, as his own son. Buford was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Lucille Buford. He is survived by his brothers, Terry (Marlene) Buford and Troy (Karen) Thomas; his sister, Phylis (Mark) Hinds; his children, Megan and Chris VanBuskirk and Brandon (Bri) Buford; his grandchildren, Meadow and Summer; and a long list of friends who knew exactly what they were signing up for and stayed anyway. He will be laid to rest beside his parents. A traditional service would not have fit. Instead, a celebration of life will be held this summer where stories, laughter, funeral kazoos, classic rock, good food, and drinks will be shared. He would have preferred people celebrate rather than mourn, and he made it clear that if you visit his graveside, you do so at your own risk, as haunting was always part of the long-term plan. In true Buford fashion.