Maurice P. “Buck” O’Keefe, Jr., 89, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 6, 2018.

Mass of Christian burial will be Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Atchison, Kansas with Rev. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant.  Inurnment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.  A parish rosary will be recited on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 6:30 P.M. at Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home, 208 North 5th Street, Atchison, Kansas with visitation with the family to follow until 8:00 P.M.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Buck’s name to Mount St. Scholastica Convent or St. Benedict’s Abbey.  Online condolences may be left at www.arensbergpruett.com.

Buck was born in Atchison, Kansas on October 9, 1928 to Katharine Dolan and Maurice P. O’Keefe I.  Buck attended St. Benedict’s grade school and Maur Hill Prep where he played basketball and football.  Buck loved sports and carried with him at all times a newspaper clipping of the 1945 Maur Hill storybook ending where he shook off three tackler’s to score the game winning touchdown.  After high school, Buck matriculated to Notre Dame where he led an intramural football team that went undefeated.  Although they never directly played the actual Notre Dame football team, Buck challenged them often and knew that had they met up on the grid iron, his team would have tested the Fighting Irish.

After college, Buck returned home and attended Washburn Law school where he earned a Juris Doctor.  Buck returned to Atchison where he joined his father’s law firm.  He was soon called away to serve his country in northern Japan.  Buck saw no combat and defended no one other than opponents on the other base basketball teams.  Once again, Buck used his athletic prowess to dominate an intramural league.

After returning to Atchison in 1957, Buck met Martha Sellmeyer, a cute coed who was attending Mount St. Scholastica College at a Knights of Columbus dance.  The two married in 1959 and had seven children.

Buck served as Atchison City and County Attorney from 1958 through 1964.  For the next 26 years, Buck engaged in private practice.  In 1981, Buck was appointed district judge to Atchison and Leavenworth counties.  Buck retired from the bench in 1995.

While in Atchison, Buck served as President of the YMCA, Exalted Ruler of Elks, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, President of the Kiwanis Club, Judge Advocate for the American Legion, Chairman of Parish Council, Maur Hill Alumni President and President/Bell Ringer for the local Salvation Army.  One of Buck’s proudest moments however, was serving as the Grand Marshal in the 1991 Atchison St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Known as the “King” of volleyball, Buck, Wadlo, Kruge, Herbie and Dub would play volleyball every day at noon at the YMCA.  The “King” enjoyed traveling throughout the Midwest and beating teams that were much younger than his crew.  The “King” however was stripped of his title when on that fateful day in Des Moines, IA, he missed a serve to cost his team the championship.  Buck never missed one of his children’s high school sporting events.  Besides sports, Buck loved to wage “bets” with anyone and everyone no matter the content or sport.  Ever the Irishman, Buck was also known to hoist a few.

Eventually, Buck had to give up his volleyball and began taking up golf in earnest.  Buck invented what we now refer to as the “whip loop” at the top of his swing.  Buck was also able to stumble forward after every swing adding two more yards to his distance.  To complete his game, Buck had the uncanny ability to turn his wrists at the end of his putting stroke in the hopes of “curling” the ball to within two feet of the hole each time.

Throughout his life, Buck traveled with his beloved Martha all over the world.  He truly lived life to the fullest and was blessed with great family and friends.  There was not a stranger that he did not greet with a “hi neighbor” or “hi friend”.  He is preceded in death by his daughter Alice Anne Knapp.  He is survived by his wife Martha, his children, Patrick, Mary, Kitty, Joe, Steve, Barbara and twenty grandchildren.