No headline

Kristine Lynne Buchler, 74

Kris passed away Aug. 31, 2017, after a brief illness that was not related to her five-year battle with cancer. She was born on Jan. 27, 1943, in Los Angeles, Calif., to Kessler and Maxine Miller and was the oldest of three children.

Kris was preceded in death by her parents and her younger sister, Terry. She is survived by Edward, her husband of 52 years; her three sons, Aaron, Craig and Todd; her granddaughters, Brianna, Dylan and Kamryn; her grandson, Tyson and her younger brother, Kevin.

Kris grew up mostly in California and graduated from Los Altos High School in the bay area. She obtained a B.S. degree in biological sciences from Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) where she met her future husband. She later also obtained a K through 12 teaching credential. Before moving to Idaho, she held positions as a microbiologist at NIH in Bethesda, Md., and as an educator at the Owens Science Center, also in Maryland. In addition her other obligations in life, she always immersed herself, first and foremost, in the love and care of her sons, grandchildren and husband.

Birding was her passion. While living in Maryland, she and her husband started pursuing birds and their identity when the mood struck them. When they moved to Idaho 24 years ago, Kris started birding seriously. This resulted in her completing hundreds of bird surveys over the years and reporting the results to national databanks for research purposes. She would often leave home at 2 or 3 a.m. to be on site for the “dawn chorus” of songs. She was never just a “lister,” content with identifying a bird, checking it off and proceeding to the next one. She took the time and gained the knowledge to be able to appreciate each bird in the context of its environment and how it was woven into the fabric of life. Kris was one of the very few master birders in our area that could identify virtually every bird simply by hearing its call note or song. As the years went by, she trained others in this skill.

Kris was also a wildlife educator, having given or team-taught hundreds of classes on a wide variety of wildlife topics, often teaming with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Bureau of Land Management colleagues. In addition to school classroom presentations, she lectured to a number of Elderhostel groups that visited our area. She served on the city’s Open Space Committee to help ensure that our land and all that it holds will be used in a wise and sustainable way. She was a raptor rehabilitator who took great pride in salvaging injured birds that otherwise would be lost. Kris co-founded the WREN Foundation that was devoted to wildlife education programs for youth.

Over the years, Kris truly touched the lives of thousands with her passion to educate people of all ages about the necessity of conserving and protecting wildlife and habitats now and in the more difficult years to come. She received several awards from the National Audubon Society for her many efforts and was particularly proud to receive the Art Manley Lifetime Conservation Award given by Kootenai Environmental Alliance (KEA). Please visit the KEA website for remembrances of her by those she loved and worked with for so many years.

Despite the challenges of fighting cancer, she was never given to self-pity or complaining. Through it all, she was resilient, dedicated to the tasks she took on and always committed to moving forward — a life well lived in the midst of adversity. She was, and is, truly an inspiration to her family and friends.

There will be a celebration of life held in her honor from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at the Elk Point Event Center, 4176 E. Potlatch Hill Road, Coeur d’Alene. There will be an opportunity to tell your favorite stories beginning about 12:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to either the Coeur d’Alene chapter of the National Audubon Society or to Kootenai Environmental Alliance. To do either, go to the kealliance.org website under the “calendar” tab. There you will find the opportunity to donate to her two favorite organizations.

Also, a Mass will be said for the repose of her soul at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, at St. Pius X in Coeur d’Alene.

Visit Kristine’s memorial and sign her online guest book at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.