Out-of-state
PALM BAY, Fla. — Calvin L. Vickers, 62, passed away on January 5, 2019. He honorably retired after 23 years serving the U.S. Air Force. Calvin worked as a nursing assistant at the VA Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is survived by wife, Fanchette “French” (Lee); son, Robert; daughter, Felicia Pippins; grandchildren, Cheneyah, Michael-David, Gabriella, Donzil, Aviana and Nadia. Calvin attended Little Rock AFB Chapel for years in Arkansas. May God bless Calvin’s family and friend during this celebration of life. Kraeer Funeral Home, Pompano Beach, Fla. www.kraeerpompanobeach.net.
–––––❖––––– AUSTIN, Texas — Thomas B. Buffington, Founder and Chairman of Buffington Homebuilding Group, passed away at his home on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019.
After serving as President of
NPC Austin —
Central Texas in the early ‘80s,
Tom started his own homebuilding company, Buffington Homes, in 1987. In 1996, Tom joined three national homebuilders forming The Fortress Group, a publicly traded holding company that acquired and consolidated local and regional homebuilding companies. Tom served as the Chief Operating Officer and on the Board of Directors until his retirement in 1999. Tom mastered many things in his lifetime, but retirement was not one of them. In 2001, Tom co-founded Buffington Capital Holdings for the purpose of acquiring and developing property for master-planned communities in central Texas. In 2007, he re-entered homebuilding in Austin by restarting Buffington Homes and in 2010 he started Buffington Homes of Arkansas along with partners Mike Lamberth and Clay Carlton. He served on the board of two banks and on the board of KLRU and was also a member of Austin Country Club.
Tom was born in Newport, Arkansas, to Nora and Dewey Buffington on January 3rd, 1945. He was a graduate of Sewanee Military Academy and studied real estate and insurance at The University of Arkansas. He loved and devoted himself to his family and many friends. He stood out among them as a man of great integrity and a leader. He was a mentor to many, teaching valuable lessons during his lifetime. Tom was married to his childhood sweetheart, Delia