Carl Dennis “Buck” McKillip
Birth 12 Nov 1956
Amarillo, Potter County, Texas, USA
Death 23 Jan 2017 (aged 60)
Amarillo, Potter County, Texas, USA
Burial Dreamland Cemetery
Canyon, Randall County, Texas, USA

Dennis “Buck” McKillip, 60, of Amarillo died Monday, Jan. 23, 2017.

Celebration of life services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Jubilee Apostolic Church in Amarillo with the Rev. Nathan Carrington, pastor, and David Lough, minister of University Church of Christ in Canyon, officiating. Burial will follow in Dreamland Cemetery. Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon.

Carl Dennis “Buck” McKillip, 60, was born Nov. 12, 1956, in Amarillo to Talmage and Athealee McKillip. He won his battle with scleroderma and was healed on Jan. 23, 2017, with his wife by his side at home, when he gained his crown in heaven and received new lungs.

He rode bulls and was a star athlete on the football team. He did many things in the course of his life. He was a jack-of-all-trades but always a cowboy. He attended Tascosa High School and was known as the Original Uncle Buck.

You would hear him say, “I can weld anything from a piece of paper to a broken heart,” “There are three shifts in a day, pick two,” “I spent a week there one night,” “You gotta wanna be out more than you want in,” “You gotta be your own best friend,” “If you’re always doing what’s right you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble,” “I ain’t gonna quit buckin til the bucking is done,” “If your left nut’s bigger than your right nut, you’ve got a left nut problem,” and “I ain’t afraid to die.”

He loved to tell his stories and jokes to anyone who would listen, had a love for rodeo, his horses, animals, country living, classic country music, John Wayne, writing poetry, cowboy stories, painting, drawing and living the life of a true cowboy. He always had a way to get through to everyone with his words. He loved his family and was the best PopPop.

His handshake was always his word. He never complained about anything. He was onery, stubborn, funny and fair. You either loved him or hated him, there was no in between. His laugh was contageous. He was afraid of nothing. He taught you life lessons that could never be learned from any school or book.

He loved our country and was passionate to help on the Trump campaign in Randall and Potter County to get Donald J. Trump elected as our 45th President. The last thing he saw on tv was Trump being sworn in.

Buck married LySa, the love of his life on Dec. 10, 2005. They shared their lives together for 111 years (each year of marriage would equal 10 years and they reached their golden wedding anniversary twice). They did everything together.

He was always thankful for neighbors, friends and family who were always there for him. He loved you all.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Talmage and Athealee McKillip; a brother, Rex McKillip; and a great-niece, Hanna Simmons.

Survivors include his wife, LySa McKillip; his children, Spencer Stone, Rebecca McKillip, Christian Stone, Stephanie Churan, Blaine Overton, Ashley Calles, Jonathan Munn, Jakki Fisher; his grandchildren, Madalynn, Brooklynn NY, Taylor Marie, Eden, Achilles and Philomena.

A very special thank you to Dr. Victor Test at Duke University who not only treated his scleroderma, but became his very dear friend.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175711818/carl-dennis-mckillip