Vicki Mays

(From Simpson Funeral Home)

Victoria Ann (Vicki) Mays, 71 years, of Carl Junction, departed this life on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at Freeman Health System in Joplin, MO after a short illness.

Vicki, the daughter of Albert Fred and Mary Katherine (Kay) Buckingham was born on November 6, 1948 in Joplin, Missouri. After graduating Joplin High School in 1966, Vicki received a degree in music education from MSSU in 1971, and then shared her love of music with thousands of students while employed as an educator in Seattle, Carl Junction, Jasper, Carthage, and finally at Columbus, KS, where she retired in 2009 as a Golden Apple winner. 

Both she and Lyle were stage performers in college and Vicki also played piano, bell choir, flute and harp. She loved travel and even organized trips for her students to perform at Disney World and to NYC to see Broadway shows. 

Known to be outgoing and entertaining, she made several appearances on local news shows to promote her organizations and was a Queen to her Red Hats! Knowing that the love of playing in a band doesn’t stop at graduation, she was assistant conductor of the Carthage Community Band, and became director of the Heartland Community Band in 2003 and, until last year, led them in performances around the region. 

Vicki belonged to countless groups and volunteered her talents wherever she was needed. She made friends in Joplin NALA Read and even shared her love of reading by becoming Carl Junction’s first little librarian.

She married Lyle F. Mays on August 2, 1969 in Joplin, Missouri. She is survived by Lyle, and her children: Jennifer Mays and husband Scott Cordes, of Kansas City, MO; Brian Mays and wife Katherine, of Carl Junction, MO; Janet Oishi and husband Pat, of Seattle, WA; their exchange-student-turned-daughter Anastasia Roeck and husband Juergen, of Germany; brother, Col. John Buckingham and wife Victoria, of Parker, CO; sister, Liz Burnaw and husband Ken, of Seattle, WA; 3 nephews (Scott Elrod, Jonathan Buckingham, Charlie Burnaw), 8 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren. 

 She was preceded in death by her parents and stepfather, K. Lynn White.

Funeral Services will be held at the Simpson Funeral Home in Carl Junction on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 P.M. with Rev. Roger Nichols officiating. A visitation will be held at the funeral home one-hour prior to the service on Sunday. 

The family invites you to join them for a celebration of life at the Carl Junction Community Center from 3-5 P.M. 

 Graveside interment will be at the Park Cemetery in Carthage, MO at 11 am, Monday March 16.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heartland Concert Band, c/o Judd Fisher, 2712 Jefferson Ave, Joplin, MO, 64804, www.heartlandconcert.band , or the Carl Junction Community Library, PO Box 447, Carl Junction, MO, 64834.