Daniel Bruce Buffington, age 34, after a valiant battle with brain cancer, returned to the loving arms of his Heavenly Father and his earthly father Mike on July 7, 2025, with his mother and his brother Paul at his side.
Daniel was born on the first day of winter, December 21st 1990, at Tacoma General Hospital (now called Multi Care), in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington. His name and information are on the baby wall of fame in the hospital.
He is the youngest son of his parents Michael Dana Buffington and Mary Jane Bouscher. Mike and Mary reconnected in 1979 and married on July 7, 1979. They were married at the Idaho Falls Temple, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. With their marriage Mike and Mary blended two families so Daniel was the youngest of eight children. There were six boys and two sisters. The children blended in this order: Steven Ray Buffington, Mike’s son, Tiffany Marie Nolan Buffington Alfaro, Mary’s daughter, Cheryl Lynn Buffington Gardner, Mike’s daughter, Robert Anthony Nolan, Mary’s son, Michael Paul Buffington, Brian Joseph Buffington, David James Buffington, and last was Daniel. All were loved and will be forever.
Daniel was very much an individual that was different and unique from his brother’s and sister’s. Daniel’s trials in mortality began before he was born. His blood type was different from the others in his family. His blood type was O negative with a sub blood type of a K Positive. His mother Mary’s was an O positive with a K negative. Because of this K blood type difference his mother’s body thought Daniel was a foreign threat to his mother, so her body tried to protect her and destroy him, and sent him into congenital heart failure when she was seven months pregnant. To save his life his mom was sent to Seattle, to a hospital attached to the University of Washington. A fairly new procedure was going to be used on Daniel to save his life and only a few hospitals did this procedure since it was so new. The procedure used was giving him blood transfusions. through his umbilical cord, of his mother’s blood type. Over several days and then after his mother was released from the hospital another transfusion was given to him to get him to his delivery day.
Because birth is very hard on both mother and baby, the Dr. decided to induce his mom early to be able to make his birth easier and more controlled. The Dr. broke his mom’s water to start her labor and to be able to keep watch on how labor was impacting the baby. Daniel was in a hurry to begin his mortal journey. His mom went into hard labor and an hour and ten minutes from start to finish Daniel arrived. He was born a healthy baby weighing 5 lbs. and 12 oz. and 18 inches long with dark red hair. His parents didn’t know the sex of their last child. With already five boys in the family his mother wanted another daughter. She took her request to the Lord about having a baby girl, but she wanted it to be God’s will not hers. She told the Lord of her wish, but as she wanted what God’s will so she asked if she was to have a boy, please give him the dark red hair of his Irish ancestors and she would never question having a baby boy. Mary’s prayer was answered as her baby boy was born with red hair and had it all of his life. Daniel was proud of his red hair, even though he teased his mom about it, as it went well with his DNA results that said he had Viking in him.
Daniel’s life wasn’t easy even after that. He caught E-coil while in the hospital and was admitted back at 11 days old. He was a fighter. He spent two weeks in the hospital and after many prayers and three blessings, Daniel fully recovered so quickly it surprised his Dr and all who cared for him. He got a hernia from the pain of needles put in his tiny body. He had surgery for it at six months and again showed the Dr his fighting spirit. After his surgery when the surgeon came in to check on him at the end of the day, he was standing up in his hospital crib smiling and babbling. The Dr was so impressed as Daniel never cried in pain from his surgery or had pain meds. He showed his fighting spirit again.
Daniel grew up as a normal boy. He had four older brothers he tried to keep up with, and brothers who took advantage of him being the youngest to trick him into doing funny things to tease him. He learned to ride a bike so he could ride like his brothers and could go with them at times. Daniel’s father took him fishing at 19 months old and Daniel fell in love with it. He carried that love all his life. In the summer when his mom and dad were at work, he would get his fishing gear, hop on his bike and spend all day at American Lake fishing.
As the youngest as he got older he was on his own a lot. Brother on a mission and another finishing high school and a two year community college at the same time. His sisters were married with families as was one of his other brothers and another one living on his own discovering the world. But during this time Daniel discovered one of his greatest loves, next to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, was music. Daniel started a band at the end of elementary school. He wanted to play the saxophone. He started on the Alto Sax as this is the most common one to begin on. In no time Daniel mastered this sax. When he started Jr high school he continued in the band and his teacher asked to join the Jazz band. Daniel did and since they needed a Soprano sax player so he switched to that sax. In 8th grade he moved to a different school district and since both band teachers knew each other his old teacher called and told his new band teacher how talented Daniel was. His new teacher recognized Daniel’s talent right away. He asked Daniel to switch to the Baritone, more commonly called a Bari sax, where he found another love. Daniel loved playing it. His teacher told Daniel about a Jazz group looking for a sax player. He was a private music teacher so he gave Daniel pointers to help him improve. When they played concerts at school his teacher would pick music to bring out the sax players and have solo parts. Daniel would play the solo, but he had to make up his part that fit the music they were playing. Daniel’s teacher had also taught the sax player that is a famous known as Kenny G, and he told Daniel that when he taught Kenny G in school that Daniel was just as good and just as talented. That was high praise to him. He loved to play his sax until the brain tumor reacted when he played causing him too much pain to continue. It broke his heart when he had to put his Bari sax in his closet. He hoped he would one day be able to play again.
Daniel had goals and dreams for his life. He wanted to serve a mission, praying he could go to Japan when the time came as he loved Asian people as he had a wonderful friend named Edward whose family taught him all about their Asian customs. He also wanted to serve his country and see the world as he protected others. Daniel started to have severe headaches several times a month when he was almost 16. His Dr thought he was starting to have migraines, but it turned out to be the beginning of the brain tumor growing. It was discovered a few months before he turned 21. Until he had his first brain surgery to try and remove his tumor, his medical team didn’t know what kind of tumor it was. We found out six weeks later. His Dr’s started him on radiation 5 days a week for 6 weeks. This started Daniel’s greatest test in his life, to battle this silent killer and not lose his faith.
His tumor was back 15 months later and then he immediately started chemo every 28 days for 8 months. A few months later Daniel’s father was diagnosed with an unknown new cancer and was gone a few months later. Daniel continued to be strong and serve others. Daniel would see a need and would help in any way he could. One day he saw a homeless man who was cold wearing a thin coat. Daniel had just been given a new coat from his brother that was really warm from the military. Daniel saw a need and gave the man his coat, surprising the man and telling him he needed it more than he did. Another time he gave a homeless older man dinner and the money in his wallet because the Holy Ghost told him too. Another time he saw a family struggling and living in a car so he listened to the spirit and gave them his paycheck.
Daniel wasn’t perfect; he did have faults and things to overcome like we all do. He had a temper at times that he tried to learn to control. He did fairly well until his tumor got so out of control. Another thing he worked on was what he said. With the tumor they removed in the behavior center of his brain Daniel had no filters. He told you exactly as he saw it even if it hurt your feelings. He tried to control it and if it got out of control or he hurt someone he tried to apologize.
When the Lord directed us to move from Tacoma, since this affected Daniel also he prayed and the Lord gave his answer to both his mother and himself at the same time to move to Utah. He led us to Price, Utah and Daniel fell in love. Every time we went to Salt Lake City for an appointment or a drive to Colorado he would talk about the landscape was never the same. While the Lord blessed him with remission for nine years, very unheard of for his kind of tumor, he never stopped looking for ways to help others. We knew all our neighbors and he loved doing things for them without them knowing. He helped the elderly when at the store, even if he was having a bad day.
When his tumor came back causing seizures Daniel was put on meds and then spent the summer with his mom in 2023 at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge. We both made friends that will be in our hearts forever. For being able to stay there at no charge to us , Daniel looked for ways to show his thanks. He reorganized all four kitchens to make sure everyone had what they needed to cook food. He went out of his way to get to know people and get them to know each other. He got people doing puzzles with us, going for walks with us that would be four or five miles. He loved carrying on his dad’s tradition of telling dad jokes. He shared a new one every day. Daniel would call Hope Lodge every month to share a new dad joke with the staff. Everywhere he was, whether it was chemo, radiation, MRI’s, lab work, or Dr visit’s he told dad jokes. Even in December of 2024, when he had to have emergency brain surgery as the tumor was so big it took up the entire right side of his brain, he told his jokes to everyone he saw and laughed at himself. He had the best laugh and it will be missed.
Until the end Daniel fought his cancer. His biggest concern was who would take care of me. When he was finally reassured that his family would be there to care for me, Daniel slipped away a few days later at peace and to be greeted by his father and other loved ones, who have gone on before. Daniel passed into the loving arms of his Heavenly Father July 7, 2025. He will be forever missed.
Arrangements entrusted to Mitchell Funeral Home of Price and Huntington where friends are welcome daily and may share memories of Daniel at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.