The Busby and McFarland families
are sad to announce the passing of
Dr. Walter A. Busby
On Sunday, March 25, 2018
A celebration of his life will be held at his home on Saturday, April 14 at 11:00 a.m.
BUSBY, WALTER A.
Dr. Walter A. Busby, former professor at the College of Education at the University of Florida, died on March 25, 2018 at his Gainesville, FL home from complications from cancer. He was eighty-three years old.
Born in Marked Tree, AR in 1935, he graduated from Greenfield High School in Greenfield, IN and served in the United States Navy. He was first in his class in the Mobile Construction ‘Seabees’ and served in Mobile Construction Battalion Four, earning a National Defense Service Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1955.
He graduated from Millersville State Teacher’s College in Millersville, PA and earned a PhD in Educational Psychology from Michigan State University. He was recruited to the University of Florida faculty by Humanistic Psychology pioneer, Arthur Wright Combs. He was a dedicated and beloved professor of Educational Psychology, and was named ‘The University of Florida’s Most Popular Professor’ by the student newspaper, the Florida Alligator. Nearly 5,000 students completed his Human Relationships course. He retired in 1995.
He founded the Institute of Holistic Education in 1988, dedicated to developing a library and resources for alternative healing practices and education, and offering services to income deficient. He was a warm and generous friend to many, and he recounted the numerous special people who touched his life and his spiritual journey in his book ‘The Journey of a Mystic Child’, published in 2017.
Dr. Busby is survived by his son, Scott H. Busby and wife Mary, of Sharpsburg GA, and daughter Pam Busby McFarland and husband Mark, of Mount Pleasant, SC; grandchildren Grace and Collier Busby, and Aubrie McFarland; brother Don Busby of IN, and sister-in-law, Clela Busby of Scottsdale, AZ. Also surviving are cherished nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews; along with close friends and colleagues, and alumni of the UF College of Education. Dr. Busby is preceded in death by parents, Joe and Ruth Nance Busby, sister, Nina and brother, Joe.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Food4Kids Backpack Program of North Florida at www.food4kidsfl.org or by calling (352) 514-0281.
