TulsaWorld Article

Bucky was featured in an article in the TulsaWorld that was released on May 21, 2021. Read it below!

Before National Brothers Day, read how the late Bucky Utter, true to his personality, is helping people in excess

Jimmmie Tramel May 21, 2021

Brian “Bucky” Utter believed if something was worth doing, it was worth doing in excess.

“That’s my brother all the way,” Fred Utter said. “He was the big Santa Claus at Christmas. He had big tailgate parties at OSU for all his customers. Everything was above and beyond. That was just him.”

National Brothers Day — May 24 — is a few days away. Though Fred lost his brother to cancer in 2015, Bucky’s name remains synonymous with doing things in excess. For instance: Raising money for charitable causes.

The Bucky, alias the Brian Utter Memorial Golf Tournament, has been staged annually since his passing. The charity golf tournaments have raised a total of $400,456. Proceeds have gone to the Oklahoma State University’s Coaches vs. Cancer program and the Owasso-based Folds of Honor Foundation, which awards educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
 
“In our wildest dreams, I never thought this would happen,” Fred said during a conversation about the fundraising tournaments exceeding expectations. “I tell you what. I think we’re going to go over half a million next year.”
 
Let’s talk about Fred’s little brother for a bit.

Born and raised in Tulsa, Bucky was a two-sport whiz at Nathan Hale High School, playing center field on a state champion baseball team in 1969. He was eyeballed by the Houston Astros, but, with minor league salaries of that era being on the wrong side of lucrative, he accepted a football scholarship and played tight end at Oklahoma State.

 
Said a bio on a site (the-bucky.com) for the memorial golf tournament: “Bucky fiercely loved his family, his friends, his job and OSU. His enthusiasm and exuberant approach to life were contagious. Those traits resulted in a devoted group of life-long friends and also phenomenal success as a sales manager for MRC Global and his previous employer, Sooner Pipe and Supply. He was always prepared, professional and dedicated to exceeding expectations.”
 
The creation of a golf tournament in Bucky’s memory seemed natural because he enjoyed (and excelled at) golf, but maybe the best “club” in his arsenal was a grilling utensil. He was, said his bio, a master with a grill and smoker.
 
After Bucky’s passing, Fred (a retired Holland Hall athletic department figure) got a call from Bucky’s wife, Ginny. She told him some people who worked with Bucky wanted to start a golf tournament in his name and give the proceeds to his two favorite charities. A meeting was planned to set the wheels in motion. Ginny asked Fred if he would go to the meeting. Of course Fred went. All brothers have their “moments” growing up, but Fred said he and Bucky were “pretty close.”
 
 
The foundation recently presented a check to one of Bucky’s fave charities at the 2021 OSU Coaches vs. Cancer Cowboy Classic golf tournament. The event is dedicated to the memory of Matt Allen, an OSU alum who died of brain cancer at age 46. Allen’s fight against cancer and his commitment to raise money for Coaches vs. Cancer served as the inspiration for the Cowboy Classic.
 
Each year, at the conclusion of the Cowboy Classic, OSU Coaches vs. Cancer presents Matt Allen Superman Awards to acknowledge those who exhibit Allen-like traits — optimism, persistence, selflessness, being joyous and being loyal and true. The Bucky Foundation and the staff of Stillwater Medical Center were announced as 2021 award recipients.
 
 
Fred (you can tell by the pep in his voice) is a proud brother. Asked what his brother would think about all of this, he contends that Bucky would be looking down and smiling.

“He would be beaming,” Fred said. “He was always someone that liked to help people. I think he would just be beaming for what his name is doing for cancer research and for the military.”