James D. Buffington, K5JIM SK 10-10 Number: 11773 QCWA Number: 29628 Services for James Dowell (Jim) Buffington, 87, who died Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 at River Place Nursing Center in Amory, will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at Tisdale-Lann Memorial Funeral Home in Aberdeen, Miss. with Rev. Lannis May officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be Alan Gurley, Neil Hilliard, Steve Ellis, George Provias, Nick Valsamakis, Chris Valsamakis and John Barrentine. Mr. Buffington was born in Blytheville, Arkansas on June 25, 1936 to the late Orville and Alta Cottrell Buffington and had been a resident of Aberdeen since 1955. He was the retired former owner of radio stations WWZQ-FM and WWZQ-AM in Aberdeen and owner of JimBuffingtonDotCom, LLC. He was a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Army Air Defense Command, a member of First United Methodist Church in Aberdeen, past president and lifetime member of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, past president of the Aberdeen-South Monroe County Chamber of Commerce and past president of the Aberdeen Rotary Club. He served two terms on the Aberdeen Board of Aldermen. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi and was a graduate of Keegan Technical Institute in Memphis. An active amateur radio operator, he held the Amateur Extra Class license and the call sign K5JIM. He was vice-president of the International Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society. He leaves his wife, Martha Raley Buffington; a daughter, Caroline Pugh and her husband, Rusty; and two grandsons, Matthew Joseph Pugh and Charles Raley Pugh, all of Tupelo. Visitation will be prior to the Memorial Service on Tuesday from 10 AM until 10:45 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 93, Aberdeen, MS 39730. Condolences may be shared at tisdalelannmemorialfuneralhome.com. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store. Obituary published on Legacy.com by Tisdale-Lann Memorial Funeral Home - Aberdeen on Sep. 3, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/jim-buffington-obituary?id=53015498
My first “real” job was when Jim hired me as a part-time announcer/operator at WMPA radio in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Jim gave similar opportunities to many young people over the years. He was an outstanding leader and public servant who improved the quality of life for his town in many ways large and small. His legacy of leadership in broadcasting and civic life helped us all in more ways than we even understood. A great man! Lee, KR4GDM
