Kenichi Buma

Kenichi Buma, age 85, of Allendale NJ, passed away peacefully at home on September 25, 2020. Ken was born on September 29, 1934 in New York City. In 1941, his family moved to Nagoya, Japan, where he lived during World War II. He attended college in Kyoto before returning to the United States to earn a graduate degree in architecture from Cornell University. After serving in the U.S. army, he worked as an architect for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for over 40 years. He was at his office in the World Trade Center on 9/11, and retired several years later. Ken was a loving husband and father, an avid tennis player, a skilled handyman, a fan of classical music and the performing arts, and enjoyed world travel. While he lived most of his life in the United States, he maintained strong ties to Japan. He loved to treat himself to a western breakfast with sausage and eggs, and yet cherished a cup of piping hot green tea. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Haruko; sons Tohru (Chia-Chi) and Takashi (Lisa Trefethen); and grandchildren Hana and Evan.