Autumn Lynn (Anderson) Van Buskirk
September 24, 1976 – June 29, 2023
Autumn L. Van Buskirk, 46, Sioux Falls, passed away on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in the care of Dougherty Hospice, with her husband and family by her side.
Autumn’s memory was honored in her hometown of Farmington, NM, on July 20, 2023, with many loving family and friends in attendance. For now, and ever, we love you and will miss you.
Autumn was known to be loving and light-hearted; always bringing laughter to those she knew and, at only two days old, she gave her first smile. Autumn found her passion early and excelled at both school and softball, dedicating countless hours and effort. As a successful fastpitch softball pitcher, her skills and dedication earned her a full-ride scholarship at MS State, and right on through her Master’s Degree, at the University of Mississippi for Women, in 2001. Along the way, Autumn established many Division 1 Fastpitch pitching records that still hold today. Autumn was awarded the MVP of the entire SEC fastpitch program in 1998 and was inducted into Farmington High School’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
Always adventurous, in 2003, she and Chad were married in Key West, FL, amidst a month-long sailing trip down the Florida Coast. Autumn worked for the American Cancer Society during the years of 2006-2012. She then became a stay-at-home mom after giving birth to her first son, Miller Keane, in 2012. Two years later, her second son, Colin Hayes, was born. Autumn was a dedicated, caring, and very attentive mother. As a daughter, sister, wife, and friend, she remains fun-loving and bright in the memories of us all.
Autumn is survived by her husband, Chad Van Buskirk; their two sons, Miller and Colin, and a step-son, Joseph Van Buskirk; her parents, Larry and Lynda Anderson; grandparents, Gerald and Jean Anderson; and three siblings and a step-brother, Gerrod (Jessica), Jamie, Dennis, and Ted (Lindsey) Triplett, remain in her hometown of Farmington, NM, and Wellington, CO.
Autumn was also loved by her surviving parents-in-law, Myron (Joan) Van Buskirk; brothers-in-laws, Mike (Karna) Van Buskirk, and Steve (Shannon) Van Buskirk, of Sioux Falls, SD; and sister-in-law, Karen Van Buskirk; nieces and nephews, Bjorn (Kirby) Sellner, Sophia, Kyle, Hunter, Jacob, and Simon Van Buskirk, Sioux Falls, along with Witten and Harper Anderson, and Jaeden and Savannah Triplett, in CO and NM.
Chad & Family, My heart goes out to you during this time. Autumn was a truly special person and I will never forget working with her at the American Cancer Society. The world was a better place because her, and the world will continue to be a better place because her love lives on through you and the boys. “The God of love and peace shall be with you.” – Corinthians 13:11