Dr. John "Jack" Chester Bukowski

Dr. John "Jack" Chester Bukowski, 80, of Randleman, NC and Snowmass, CO passed away peacefully, Sunday October 16th at the Randolph Hospice House. A celebration of life will be held at Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro, NC on Friday October 21th at 2:00 pm for friends and neighbors. The family is planning a private ceremony for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimers Association. Jack was born on July 9, 1936 in Buffalo, NY to Chester and Irene (Firlik) Bukowski. He attended the University of Buffalo on an ROTC Scholarship graduating with a degree in Pharmacy. Upon graduation from college he joined the US Air Force where he retired as a Captain. Jack began his career in Pharmacy in Dansville, NY. Ever the entrepreneur, he started with one store and eventually built a chain of Bukowski Pharmacy stores throughout western NY. Later in life he decided to sell his stores and go back to school, earning his Doctorate from the University of Maryland, in his early sixties. A brilliant and naturally curious person, in addition to his accomplishments in healthcare he also found time to earn a Certified Financial Planner designation, to satisfy his thirst for investing and helping others plan and invest. He finished his career as Director of Pharmacy at Randolph Hospital, where he retired in 2008. Jack enjoyed many pursuits, but the two things he loved most were flying and skiing. He was an avid pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, with a gifted patience for teaching others. Jack's other true passion was skiing, he loved to ski and teach skiing, he was a Certified Professional Ski Instructor of America. On a ski trip, he discovered Snowmass, Colorado. Snowmass became his second home, he loved spending time there with his family skiing and hiking. Jack became a visible member of the Snowmass community and spent 30 years as President of the Snowmass Condo Association. As proud as he was of his personal and professional accomplishments, he was most proud of his children and grandchildren. In addition to his parents, brother and wife Barbara, John was preceded in death by his son-in-law: Ronald Reals. He is survived by his children and their spouses: Mark (Cindi) Bukowski of Salem, VA, Kirk (Tomica) Bukowski of Cohasset, MA, Shari Reals of Canandaigua, NY and Todd (Kimberlee) Bukowski of Washington, DC; his stepchildren: Bryan (Vivian) Smith of Scituate, RI and Kimberly (Joseph) Niezgoda of Lansdale, PA; seventeen grandchildren and three great grandchildren; many close friends and his loyal canine companion, Dudley.