Barney O. Buchhorn
Barney Otton Buchhorn passed away in San Antonio, Texas, just two days short of his seventy-seventh birthday. Mr. Buchhorn was born in Victoria, Texas, to his loving parents Albert Robert Fredrick Buchhorn and Johnie Lee Buchhorn on November 1, 1942. He was raised in Yorktown, Texas, graduating from Yorktown High School in 1960. He began his college career by attending Victoria Junior College and later transferring to Sul Ross State University, graduating in 1965, with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Biology and a minor in Mathematics. While attending Sul Ross, he met and married the love of his life, Ellen D. Buchhorn. At the time of his passing, they have been married for over 52 years.
Mr. Buchhorn began teaching Science and Math classes in Grandfalls, Texas, then moving to teach at Fort Stockton High School after his marriage. Due to the illness of his mother, he moved his family to Rockport, Texas, where he continued to teach Science and Math classes at Rockport High School for the next six years. In 1977 Mr. Buchhorn moved back to the West, joining the faculty of the Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District, where he taught a variety of Science and Math classes for the next 30 years.
As much as he loved teaching, his greatest pleasure came from serving as a University Interscholastic League Academic coach. While working in Rockport, he coached successful Slide Rule teams, changing over to become a U.I.L. Calculator-Math-Science coach in Van Horn. During the following 30 years, his Calculator-Math-Science teams won numerous U.I.L. meets throughout our area and beyond, culminating in trips to the U.I.L. State meet in Austin, where his Calculator teams competed, placed and once winning first place, an honor he was extremely proud of. Many of the past V.H.H.S. students will remember the numerous plaques and trophies that lined the top of the library shelves. They stood as a tribute to the hard work and skill of his team members and Mr. B’s coaching ability.
Mr. Buchhorn also spent countless hours running concession stands, to earn the funds needed, to be able to take his teams to area meets, as well as meets in El Paso, Lubbock, San Angelo, and San Antonio. He was determined that his team members were to be exposed to as many college and university campuses as possible. His hard work paid off, as many of his team members were awarded U.I.L. and TMSCA scholastic scholarships upon their graduation from high school.
Mr. Buchhorn, in his spare time, also helped to organize the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association and served as their president for two years. The TMSCA has been very instrumental in promoting Math and Science contests for both junior high and high school students throughout the State of Texas.
Mr. Buchhorn retired in 2007, having spent 41 of his life dedicated to education and academic coaching.
Mr. Buchhorn is survived by his wife, Ellen D. Buchhorn of Van Horn, his son Robert Barton Buchhorn of San Antonio, his sister Al Joan Meyer of Victoria, two nephews, Scott Meyer of the Lower Valley and Jeff Meyer of Victoria, Texas, and Kevin Weisen who was like a second son to Mr. Buchhorn. A family service for Mr. Buchhorn is planned for a later date.
If you wish to honor Mr. Buchhorn’s memory, his family request that you find a way to help a student or an educator.
