William Arvid "Buck" Torstenson

William Arvid “Buck” Torstenson was welcomed into the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever. On February 29, 2024, he departed from McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden, Utah of an anoxic brain injury due to cardiac arrest. 

He was born January 2, 1949, during the “Storm of a Century” Blizzard of ‘49 in Hancock, Michigan. He often stated that he was born in a great storm, and he would go out in one. He was born to Arvid Edward Torstenson (31) and Edith Irene Propst (23). Buck received his nickname as a toddler after Bucky Dennison had saved his father’s life in a Coast Guard accident. Buck was the first of 6 children born in different locations that the Coast Guard took the family. All the siblings spent many years being fostered by numerous extended family members both before and after the deaths of their parents.

He enlisted in the Marines, with his father’s signature at 17.5 years old, from Michigan in 1965. He took a leave of absence 30 days into bootcamp to attend his mother’s funeral (DOD 09-19-65). He returned to Camp Pendleton for marksman/sniper training, Alaska for cold weather training, and Camp Lejeune for jump training. He was stationed in Vietnam and went on many missions, some of which were sniper missions, into many different countries. A group he was leading rescued a group of Australians that were pinned down by the V.C. Buck spent time as a POW in 1968. He took some R and R in New Zealand and often wondered if he had a child there. Buck was awarded 3 purple hearts and dual citizenship in Australia. He declined high honors of US and British military to continue his Marine career. It was cut short by the event that earned him his 3^rd Purple Heart and sent him home injured. Buck’s paternal Aunt Edna and Uncle Chris Demmin picked Buck up at the VA and took him to a Wisconsin state hospital near their farm. He soon learned of his father’s death that had occurred May 2, 1968. The loss of his father haunted Buck for the rest of his life and colored the relationships with his wayward siblings. 

Buck wandered through life taking many unusual employment opportunities that took him to many locations in the US. Occupations included carnie/diesel mechanic, migrant farm worker, ranch hand, janitor, security guard, production worker, lumberjack, scrap metal processor, apartment manager, airport grounds maintenance, high risk load truck driver, rocket booster cleaner, café manager/cook, car delivery, hermit goldminer, pizza delivery driver, cab driver, and OTR truck driver. The jobs he was most passionate about had him driving. Buck would often state that ‘he drove everything with wheels and some without’ those included a piper cub airplane, a helicopter, boats, and vehicles with tracks.

Buck had a Bachelor of Science degree in Theology and Theosophy. He spent some time as a Foursquare Pastor. He could not find it in himself to be a Sunday saint, a hypocrite. So, he left and eventually returned to the hereditary druidism taught by his mother and Aunt. Even decades later he often spouted verses out of nowhere. He enjoyed, with a warped sense of humor, the visits with the LDS missionaries. He would challenge their knowledge and send them off with homework. Not to shake their belief, but to cement it.

Buck was also very extreme with his hobbies and recreation. He enjoyed sharing his passions with his friends and children including free rock climbing, spelunking, hiking the mountains, motorcycle and stock car racing, survival trekking, hunting, black powder shooting, fishing, sailing, playing chess-D&D-and Risk, drawing and painting, embroidery, and writing poetry.

Buck had 4 wives, which broke up his adventures through life into very different stages:

1. Sandy (FL), very little is known other than the marriage was annulled due to her previously being married.
2. Evelyn Brunetti (Salt Lake City, UT) 2 Children were products of the union: William Joseph Torstenson (DOB 07-07-77) Elizabeth Edith Irene Oh My Torstenson (DOB 10-09-78). Evelyn divorced him and left with the children. Buck had set up child support to be paid through social security, so that they would get the money they needed. Buck spent thousands of dollars and miles on his motorcycle searching for his children. He did not reconnect with his children until their early teens. His estrangement with his older children haunted him all the rest of his life.
3. Marlene Spotted Eagle (Salt Lake City, UT and Ogden, UT) this marriage marked a period of extreme death-defying sports with his friends. He spent a lot of time searching for his older children and for Marlene. She would start drinking as soon as she got off work and would often not make it home. Marlene died, shortly after Buck left her.
4. Kristi May Albiston (Ogden, UT) Buck’s 4^th and final wife. Buck and Kristi accidentally fell in love while they were commiserating over their own abusive marriages. Buck soon became the only father in Kristi’s children’s lives. He happily stepped up to the plate and accepted her children as his own. Truce Amanthis Hales (DOB 10-01-91) and Michael Ronald Hales (DOB 05-30-93). Buck and Kristi truly became a family, in the same household, when their daughter, Celestine Anastacia Torstenson was born 11-23-95, on Thanksgiving Day. Neither of her parents let her forget what a rotten Thanksgiving hospital dinner they had. They moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin in May of 1996. They welcomed their final daughter, Gabrielle Aurora Torstenson 12-22-98. All 4 children were involved with the wedding when Buck and Kristi got married. It was in a Castle at Camp Rokilio in Schulswig, Wisconsin, on Halloween under a Blue Moon, 10-31-2001.

Buck and his 2^nd family with Kristi lived in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Buck took the family out every weekend fishing (46” lake trout and salmon, bluegill, sunfish, and bull head catfish) or exploring all the local and state parks in the area. The family learned to track animals, identify by sight and touch, and how to enjoy the wild and protect it. The whole family became “Polar Bears” having all jumped in Lake Michigan January 1^st many years in a row. They left Sheboygan, WI in 2003.

They had aimed for Clearfield, UT but the Olympics had left an abundance of available housing, but no jobs. They went to live with a friend, Carrie Wilkinson in Twin Falls, ID. Buck traveled back and forth from Twin Falls to Salt Lake City for OTR truck driving school for a month. Ended up transferring to a school in Twin Falls to get his CDL again and start driving for Werner. Once they started working, they found a house to rent and moved to Buhl, ID. The family went camping and fishing along the Snake River (Trout and sturgeon). They spent a lot of time at Miracle Hot Springs swimming and watching the alligators. Buck was bitten by a brown recluse spider, hospitalized in Youngstown, Ohio. The cellulitis that was a result of the bite caused heart issues which eventually ended his OTR career. He had triple bypass surgery in Boise, ID after a stent placement in Twin Falls, ID went wrong. He had a very difficult recovery and could not be removed from the ventilator due to MRSA pneumonia. That is when he received his very first teddy bear, Sir Coughs-A-Lot. He was very tickled by that bear and gave it to Gabi, who over-loved it. Sir Coughs-A-Lot stood vigil at the end of Buck’s life. 

Shortly after the heart surgery, 2007, the family had to move to Ogden, UT. Buck continued to take the family camping, going to Mountain Man Rendezvous, gold panning, fishing (trout), and shooting. As the health issues became more pronounced, the outdoor activities came home to the backyard firepit where Buck cooked over the fire year-round. He enjoyed picking up Mike from Utah State University nearly every weekend to do his laundry. He was very proud that Mike was able to go to University and prouder yet when Mike made his dream a reality and went to Japan.

Buck rode the bus to the hospital and rode his bike home from the hospital everyday while Kristi was in Ogden Reginal Medical Center, (for diverticulitis, a colon resection, and sepsis) for the main stretch of time, 55 days. A total of 113 days Kristi spent inpatient in 2013. Buck kept fighting for her life even after she had given up. Buck took care of her at home, changing bandages and ileostomy bags. He helped her accept her scars and regain the will to live and take care of herself. They lost the house they were buying over these illnesses.

November of 2013 Buck, Kristi, Mike, and Gabi moved to Harrisville. Celestine moved in with a boyfriend and continued high school living on her own. Buck continued to have backyard campfires and family celebrations. He went fishing in community ponds and enjoyed the hobby farm. He watched the kids leave home and buy their own houses. He was proud of all their accomplishments. 

During his last few years as he was suffering from mobility issues, he listened to talk radio and acted as a security guard, actively ensuring the safety of Kristi while she was working at home. Buck would call her daily, (he used the phone in the living room to call her phone in the home office) to remind her it was time to shut the computer down and come home, to remind her that he loved her. He spent time tracking, feeding, and protecting the feral cat community. Buck was a very proud, loyal, and stubborn man. He was a Marine always. His heritage and his word were everything. In his proposal to Kristi, he stated that all he could offer her was his name, that proved to be enough. He fought hard for his family. He regretted the family he lost contact with along the way. He will be deeply missed.

Buck was taken care of (during his extended battle with COPD, emphysema, and heart failure) and survived by: his loving wife, Kristi May Torstenson of Harrisville, UT; son, Mike Hales of North Ogden, UT; daughter, Celeste Torstenson of Ogden, UT; daughter, Gabi Torstenson of North Ogden, UT.

He was also survived by his brothers and sister: Tom Torstenson of Sturgeon Bay, WI, Ron (Cindy) Torstenson of Manitowoc, WI, Sue Torstenson of Iaona, WI, and Arnie (Kathy) Torstenson of Sheboygan, WI.

He is survived by daughters: Liz (Nate) Robinson of Salt Lake City, UT and Truce Hales of Ogden, UT.

Many nieces and nephews, 10 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

Buck was preceded in death by his mother, Edith Irene Propst Torstenson 09/19/1965; his father, Arvid Edward Torstenson 05/02/1968; his brother, James Edward Torstenson 06/18/1995; and his sons, Wolfgang Arvid Torstenson 12/22/1998 and William Joseph Torstenson 01/18/2023.

The family would like to thank those who took care of Buck at the end of his life:

Dr. Mathew Hagemeyer and staff at Canyon View Ogden Clinic, Dr. James Ravenaugh / Dr. Harkness and team at the Intermountain Heart Institute, Dr. Timothy Leclair and surgical team at the JL Sorenson Heart and Lung Center, Burke and Lance at CNS Home Healthcare, McKay-Dee ICU, North View Fire District EMTs, Weber County Dispatch, and Harrisville PD.

There will be an open house style Celebration of Life at his home, 1426 North Highway 89, Harrisville, UT 84404 on Saturday, June 15, 2024, and Sunday, June 16, 2024, from 1 to 10 p.m. There will be a short Ceremony at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. It is a Family Cookout come out and cook over the fire or have a Thin Mint Smore. Eat, drink, and share memories or support the family. For additional information contact Kristi on Facebook or Kristi.m.torstenson@gmail.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating toward the cost of the Celebration of Life, through a Memorial Fund set up at America First Credit Union.