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<p>Lieutenant Colonel <em>Anthony Josepth “Tony” Buetti Jr.</em> passed away January 26, 2020 at the age of 76. Anthony, or Tony, as most people knew him, was born September 13, 1943 in Brooklyn, NY to his loving parents, Elena and Anthony Buetti. Showing strong aptitude in math, science, and leadership, he attended Brooklyn Technical High School and was then accepted into the Class of 1966 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. </p>
<p>Tony was proud to be a cadet and fully embraced the values, traditions, and spirit of the Corps of Cadets. He excelled in academics at West Point, graduating in the top third of his class. He readily gave of his time to tutor classmates who struggled with their academics. He participated in intramural track and cross country and played on the Engineer Football Team in his Second Class year. Tony was also an active member of the Astronomy Club.</p>
<p>Tony was someone who could be counted on when duty called with a new challenge; he always worked extra hard “to get it right.” For example, when on the regimental staff, he would practice sabre drill in the hallway to make sure he did his job well. </p>
<p>Tony’s cadet life reflected his full embrace of the West Point motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.” He had a special calling to “honor” and was selected by his companymates to serve as a member of the Cadet Honor Board. He internalized the Cadet Honor Code as a personal value by which he lived throughout his life.</p>
<p>Tony is remembered by classmates as “ebullient, cheerful, and full of energy.” He easily made friends with his fellow cadets and often invited other cadets to his Brooklyn home for his mom’s fantastic authentic Italian meals with cheese cake desserts, among other delights, a shock to his classmates unfamiliar with Italian multi-course feasts and who assumed the first course was the only meal. Tony was the most wonderful, kind, and helpful friend anyone could ever have.</p>
<p>Upon graduation, Tony selected Air Defense Artillery as his branch of service. On his first tour of duty in the San Francisco area, he served as a battery platoon leader and battery commander. He often met with classmates before they boarded flights to Vietnam from nearby Travis AFB, CA. </p>
<p>Tony became an Army Ranger and a decorated combat veteran, receiving two Purple Hearts for wounds received in Vietnam. After recovering from his wounds, he attended graduate school at MIT, where he obtained a master’s degree in physics, leading to an assignment as a physics professor at West Point. For the duration of his Army career, Tony served in ever-increasing staff responsibility positions with the Patriot Missile Project Office, the NATO staff in Brussels, and the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs, CO. </p>
<p>Following his retirement from the Army in 1986, Tony worked for Kaman Sciences for 20 years as a project manager. There, he led, mentored, and supported a variety of programs, from studies and analysis to development of hardware prototypes and product demonstrations. His work supported Army, Air Force, and Navy cutting-edge technology programs. Some of the largest and longest efforts required coordination with allied government agencies, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy. </p>
<p>He most enjoyed applying his vast knowledge in technology and leadership to build teams and to teach junior engineers and scientists how to establish successful technical programs, how to present status and plans to internal and external customers, and how to plan projects from start to finish. He taught members of his teams to become effective leaders in their own rights. </p>
<p>He was equally comfortable in technical meetings, program design reviews, management reviews, and international seminars, using his military experience to shape relationships and promote success for his company and his country. He was asked to support many programs in a variety of roles because he quickly established that his intelligence, education, experience, energy, and sense of mission allowed him to bridge any gap in a team’s skillset and quickly bring the team and project to a successful conclusion. </p>
<p>During his time with the company, he established a reputation for integrity, success, and investment in the people who worked for and with him. Tony’s people-development skills enabled him to pass along best practices to another generation of young professionals.</p>
<p>Tony inspired everyone he met with his enthusiasm and his love of life, especially his two daughters, who always knew he was their biggest fan. Tony was a Renaissance man; he had a passion for music, dancing, writing, languages, sports, astronomy, and physics. He loved meeting new people and was a friend to everyone. Tony loved Colorado, rooting for the Denver Broncos, taking trips into the mountains, or sitting on his back porch watching the sunsets. </p>
<p>Tony was married to the love of his life, Anne, for 47 years. They have two daughters, Michele Buetti-Weekly and Nicole Buetti. He is also survived by his brother Bernard Buetti, his sons-in-law, R. Matthew Weekly and Jason Gunderson, and his grandchildren, Joseph and Ashley Weekly. Tony loved his family. He was happiest in the middle of a lively discussion, big family meal, or even a holiday movie outing. He was an amazingly loving and devoted husband, father and friend. Anthony Buetti possessed a beautiful soul and is loved and missed by all who were lucky enough to have known him.</p>
<p><em>— Family, classmates, and friends </em></p>
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