David J. Buja

David Buja, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and man of quiet vitality and irrepressible spirit, passed away on August 24, 2026, at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of adventure, discipline, and laughter that will endure in the hearts of all who knew him.

Born in Gardner to Joseph and Anna Buja, David grew up in the community that would shape so much of his life. A proud graduate of Gardner High School, he went on to earn a master’s degree in accounting and psychology from Bentley College. He served his country with distinction in the United States Coast Guard. In his professional life, he distinguished himself as a financial planner, building and sustaining his own business, and later retired from Hewlett-Packard.

For 42 years, David shared a life of deep companionship with his beloved wife, Louisa (Levesque) Buja. Together they savored the open road in their Corvette and countless shared adventures, always addressing one another as “my darling.” Their partnership was a testament to enduring affection and mutual delight.

David’s passions reflected a man who lived fully and deliberately. He found joy in the quiet work of gardening, the discipline of exercise and swimming, the thrill of skydiving, and the freedom of piloting his ultralight aircraft. A second- degree black belt in Taekwondo and a practitioner of Tai Chi, he brought the same focus and grace to martial arts that he brought to every endeavor. Each morning he greeted the day in song—a small but telling expression of the lightness and optimism that defined him.

His dry, incomparable sense of humor remains one of his most cherished gifts. Those who loved him will long recount the stories that still bring smiles, each carrying its own private echo of David’s wit.

David is survived by his wife, Louisa; his daughter Michelle and granddaughter Crystal; his son David John, daughter-in- law Abby, grandson Rylan, and granddaughters Madison and Emma; his sister Joanne and her husband Jim Jerome of Daytona Beach; his sister Shirley Hunter of Athol; his brother Philip and Betsey of Florida; his sister Phyllis Cole of Arizona; his sister-in-law Laura and Glenn Foster of Leominster; his sister-in-law Lisa and Ralph Richard of Leominster, his brother-in-law Leo III and Marcia Levesque of Lunenburg; his brother-in-law John and Debora Levesque of Leominster; and numerous nieces and nephews.

David’s voice may no longer rise in morning song, yet the melody of a life well and fully lived continues—in the garden, in the open sky, in the laughter he so readily inspired, and in the enduring love of those who called him husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.

Please join us in celebrating David's life at the Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Road, Fitchburg. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home at 12:30 PM. Burial will follow at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon.