Obituary for Gregory James Buratto
Gregory James Buratto was born in Seattle on May 9, 1940, to A.R. and Gail Buratto. He died peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, surrounded by family at Life Care Center of Lewiston.
His early years were spent in Seattle. The family later moved to Toppenish Wash., where they resided until Greg’s junior year in high school. In 1957, they moved to Clarkston as Greg’s dad was being transferred to manage Meats Inc. It has been said that a family in Toppenish had offered their home so Greg could stay and complete his high school years and continued athletic endeavors in football, basketball and golf. Little did the Clarkston High School Bantams know that they had gained a gem.
Greg graduated from CHS in 1958. He had the opportunity to go to several universities offering athletic scholarships. He chose Gonzaga, which offered him a full ride to play basketball, and the option to play golf, his two athletic loves. In choosing Gonzaga, he was eventually on the starting five with All-American Frank Burgess during his infamous run.
While at Gonzaga, Greg was befriended by Father Timothy O’Leary, the Prefect of DeSmet Hall, where he was living. In time, Greg told him that he was interested in learning about the Catholic faith, a faith that served him throughout his life. He became a student of theology and philosophy. Father O’Leary guided him on his journey to becoming a Catholic and his desire to go to medical school. Greg participated in Gonzaga’s ROTC program to help fund his quest to become a doctor. He served as ROTC Company Commander and upon graduation in 1962 was awarded the DAR as a Distinguished Military Graduate and was now a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He received a deferment to begin his studies at Creighton Medical School in Omaha, Neb.
In June of 1962, Greg married his high school sweetheart, Susan G. Hoffman, daughter of Dr. E.G., and Virginia Hoffman (deceased) at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clarkston.
Greg’s time in Omaha was filled with school for the most part, but, always the athlete, he also found time for sports to some degree. He was also a member of the Phi Chi Medical Fraternity. As a commissioned officer in his senior year, he went on active duty and was stationed at Creighton in Omaha. In those four years, he and Susan had three children, Ann, Mike and Amy.
Upon graduation in 1966 he was assigned to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, where he began his internship, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine. He and his family were there from 1966-69. After completing his residency, he was notified he was being deployed to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Susan and the kids returned to Clarkston to be with her family during his deployment.
While in Vietnam, Greg was commander of a large dispensary and found it to be a challenging assignment. The war was winding down and part of his duty was to establish a drug rehab program. The men going home had to be drug free. He fought the drug battle the entire time he was there. For a healthy distraction, he formed basketball teams for his enlisted men and officers, a unique situation. Upon leaving Cam Ranh Bay, local friends/workers presented him with a rugged hand-carved statue labeled “Barracuda”, a nick name they had given him.
In 1970, when Greg finished his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned to Silas B. Hayes Hospital at Fort Ord, Calif. He returned to the states, packed up his family, having added another son, Jim, and traveled to their new assignment in California. He would become Chief of Medicine and, at the age of 33, became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Regular Army. He also moonlighted in a hospital’s emergency room in Gilroy, Calif., where he gained a whole different perspective of medicine. California was the place for family fun, and they enjoyed the entire state, including Disneyland.
In 1974, he was offered a promotion and bonus to move to San Antonio, where he would again be Chief of Medicine, in a much larger situation. He found that it was becoming more administrative and less one-on-one medicine. That was his love, his patients. After much thought, he decided to resign his commission.
Taken from his honorable discharge paperwork, written by Colonels Blair and Eaves:
“LTC Buratto is a bright and highly trained internist who has a rapport with patients that could serve as a model for younger physicians.”
“LTC Buratto performed his duties as Chief, Department of Medicine, in a consistently outstanding manner.”
The family then returned to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, where he could practice medicine and safely raise his growing family, having added another son, Sean. So, they packed up the VW van, kids, plants, cat and wine collected on trips to the Napa Valley and headed home. Their German shepherd got to fly.
In September of 1974, Greg opened his office at 307 St. Johns Way, in Lewiston.
After establishing his practice, he was asked by the ER nurses at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, who oversaw running it, to help them create a modern style ER, which would include emergency room physicians. He immediately jumped into “military mode,” drawing from his experience moonlighting and familiarity with the military ER system. It was the beginning of what we have today.
He was a huge proponent of transporting patients to larger facilities for care that was not available in the valley. He flew in a helicopter with one of his first patients to Spokane.
During his time here, he was an active physician practicing in both Lewiston at St. Joe’s and Clarkston at Tri-State Memorial Hospital. He served on committees at both hospitals, most notably the pharmacy committee at Tri-State for 10 years with their pharmacist Eli Nemeth.
House calls and late-evening hospital rounding were sometimes called for, with a child in tow.
He also volunteered his services when the Snake River Clinic opened.
As much as he loved his patients and medicine, after much reflection, he decided to retire in December 2012.
Greg and Sue were devoted to their children’s activities, be it basketball, football, baseball, soccer, golf, ballet, music, horseback riding or Scouts, where he was awarded the “Fearless Father” paddle for jumping into a freezing pond. As his sons began participating in sports, he was “the team Doc” for several seasons.
In 1981, Greg was chairman of the citizens committee to promote the special levy for the Clarkston School District to raise funds not provided by the State, this levy passed.
“Horsing around” was a big part of Greg’s life for some time. He was noted for building and repairing jumps for cross country jumping events at Deary, and wherever his daughter Ann rode be it from Canada to California. He and his family ‘hauled’ the 1981 Roundup Royalty to wherever they needed to be. It was one of his best years.
With his practice and his family, Greg found time to play city and church league basketball until he was 60. His beloved golf had taken a back seat due to chronic back issues and a damaged knee from football. He found some way to bounce that ball and was known for his “hook shot.”
Sports were in his family’s blood. It was what they did, and he passed that drive on to his kids.
Greg was a ferocious reader and loved all kinds of music, especially country. He and his wife went to every concert they could get to. He loved food, especially French, his favorite sweetbreads, a great red wine and IPA beer. He loved driving the entire West coast but especially the Oregon coast. He belonged to the Clarkston Golf and Country Club and others along the way. In his early days of golfing, he had a scratch handicap. Before he “hung up the bag” he still was able give his sons a run for their money. His motto was “drive for show, putt for dough,” he had an amazing short game.
He was proud of his Italian heritage and his son Jim, who was in the Navy at the time, traveled to Ellis Island to take a picture of his grandfather Gregorios’ signature. Greg had fond memories of his youth, of visiting his grandpa’s acreage to help farm the fruit he grew, including grapes, from which he made his own wine. It was on “Talbot Hill” where many of the Seattle Italians lived.
Greg loved going to everything his grandkids were doing, especially sports. If he could get there, he would be there.
He tolerated the two cruises he and Sue took, one to Mexico, but especially loved the one to Alaska.
He loved his cat, Tom, his “buddy.”
He was honored to be a recipient of a ‘Quilt of Valor’ for his service in Vietnam by the Lewis Clark Quilts of Valor.
Greg was preceded in death by his parents Aldo Rosa “AR” Buratto and Gail Marie Buratto. He is survived by his wife Susan Buratto, five kids, Ann Buratto (Todd Williams), Mike Buratto, Amy Buratto, Jim (Heidi) Buratto and Sean Buratto; three brothers Stan (Cathy) Buratto, Steve (Judy —recently deceased) Buratto and Alan (Sue) Buratto; 14 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Snake River Community Clinic, in Lewiston, and Holy Family Catholic School, in Clarkston.
Funeral arrangements were made by Merchants Funeral Home, of Clarkston and Holy Family Catholic Church, in Clarkston.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 17, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1109 Chestnut St., Clarkston. Inurnment will take place at the columbarium at the church followed by a luncheon and reception in the parish hall.
The family would like to thank those involved in his care and the support from the community.
“There’s peace in where you are, maybe all I need to know, and if I listen to my heart, I’ll hear your laughter once more. And so, I have to say I’m just glad you came my way it’s not easy….to say goodbye.” — KR
His early years were spent in Seattle. The family later moved to Toppenish Wash., where they resided until Greg’s junior year in high school. In 1957, they moved to Clarkston as Greg’s dad was being transferred to manage Meats Inc. It has been said that a family in Toppenish had offered their home so Greg could stay and complete his high school years and continued athletic endeavors in football, basketball and golf. Little did the Clarkston High School Bantams know that they had gained a gem.
Greg graduated from CHS in 1958. He had the opportunity to go to several universities offering athletic scholarships. He chose Gonzaga, which offered him a full ride to play basketball, and the option to play golf, his two athletic loves. In choosing Gonzaga, he was eventually on the starting five with All-American Frank Burgess during his infamous run.
While at Gonzaga, Greg was befriended by Father Timothy O’Leary, the Prefect of DeSmet Hall, where he was living. In time, Greg told him that he was interested in learning about the Catholic faith, a faith that served him throughout his life. He became a student of theology and philosophy. Father O’Leary guided him on his journey to becoming a Catholic and his desire to go to medical school. Greg participated in Gonzaga’s ROTC program to help fund his quest to become a doctor. He served as ROTC Company Commander and upon graduation in 1962 was awarded the DAR as a Distinguished Military Graduate and was now a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He received a deferment to begin his studies at Creighton Medical School in Omaha, Neb.
In June of 1962, Greg married his high school sweetheart, Susan G. Hoffman, daughter of Dr. E.G., and Virginia Hoffman (deceased) at Holy Family Catholic Church in Clarkston.
Greg’s time in Omaha was filled with school for the most part, but, always the athlete, he also found time for sports to some degree. He was also a member of the Phi Chi Medical Fraternity. As a commissioned officer in his senior year, he went on active duty and was stationed at Creighton in Omaha. In those four years, he and Susan had three children, Ann, Mike and Amy.
Upon graduation in 1966 he was assigned to Fort Lewis in Tacoma, where he began his internship, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine. He and his family were there from 1966-69. After completing his residency, he was notified he was being deployed to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Susan and the kids returned to Clarkston to be with her family during his deployment.
While in Vietnam, Greg was commander of a large dispensary and found it to be a challenging assignment. The war was winding down and part of his duty was to establish a drug rehab program. The men going home had to be drug free. He fought the drug battle the entire time he was there. For a healthy distraction, he formed basketball teams for his enlisted men and officers, a unique situation. Upon leaving Cam Ranh Bay, local friends/workers presented him with a rugged hand-carved statue labeled “Barracuda”, a nick name they had given him.
In 1970, when Greg finished his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned to Silas B. Hayes Hospital at Fort Ord, Calif. He returned to the states, packed up his family, having added another son, Jim, and traveled to their new assignment in California. He would become Chief of Medicine and, at the age of 33, became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Regular Army. He also moonlighted in a hospital’s emergency room in Gilroy, Calif., where he gained a whole different perspective of medicine. California was the place for family fun, and they enjoyed the entire state, including Disneyland.
In 1974, he was offered a promotion and bonus to move to San Antonio, where he would again be Chief of Medicine, in a much larger situation. He found that it was becoming more administrative and less one-on-one medicine. That was his love, his patients. After much thought, he decided to resign his commission.
Taken from his honorable discharge paperwork, written by Colonels Blair and Eaves:
“LTC Buratto is a bright and highly trained internist who has a rapport with patients that could serve as a model for younger physicians.”
“LTC Buratto performed his duties as Chief, Department of Medicine, in a consistently outstanding manner.”
The family then returned to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, where he could practice medicine and safely raise his growing family, having added another son, Sean. So, they packed up the VW van, kids, plants, cat and wine collected on trips to the Napa Valley and headed home. Their German shepherd got to fly.
In September of 1974, Greg opened his office at 307 St. Johns Way, in Lewiston.
After establishing his practice, he was asked by the ER nurses at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, who oversaw running it, to help them create a modern style ER, which would include emergency room physicians. He immediately jumped into “military mode,” drawing from his experience moonlighting and familiarity with the military ER system. It was the beginning of what we have today.
He was a huge proponent of transporting patients to larger facilities for care that was not available in the valley. He flew in a helicopter with one of his first patients to Spokane.
During his time here, he was an active physician practicing in both Lewiston at St. Joe’s and Clarkston at Tri-State Memorial Hospital. He served on committees at both hospitals, most notably the pharmacy committee at Tri-State for 10 years with their pharmacist Eli Nemeth.
House calls and late-evening hospital rounding were sometimes called for, with a child in tow.
He also volunteered his services when the Snake River Clinic opened.
As much as he loved his patients and medicine, after much reflection, he decided to retire in December 2012.
Greg and Sue were devoted to their children’s activities, be it basketball, football, baseball, soccer, golf, ballet, music, horseback riding or Scouts, where he was awarded the “Fearless Father” paddle for jumping into a freezing pond. As his sons began participating in sports, he was “the team Doc” for several seasons.
In 1981, Greg was chairman of the citizens committee to promote the special levy for the Clarkston School District to raise funds not provided by the State, this levy passed.
“Horsing around” was a big part of Greg’s life for some time. He was noted for building and repairing jumps for cross country jumping events at Deary, and wherever his daughter Ann rode be it from Canada to California. He and his family ‘hauled’ the 1981 Roundup Royalty to wherever they needed to be. It was one of his best years.
With his practice and his family, Greg found time to play city and church league basketball until he was 60. His beloved golf had taken a back seat due to chronic back issues and a damaged knee from football. He found some way to bounce that ball and was known for his “hook shot.”
Sports were in his family’s blood. It was what they did, and he passed that drive on to his kids.
Greg was a ferocious reader and loved all kinds of music, especially country. He and his wife went to every concert they could get to. He loved food, especially French, his favorite sweetbreads, a great red wine and IPA beer. He loved driving the entire West coast but especially the Oregon coast. He belonged to the Clarkston Golf and Country Club and others along the way. In his early days of golfing, he had a scratch handicap. Before he “hung up the bag” he still was able give his sons a run for their money. His motto was “drive for show, putt for dough,” he had an amazing short game.
He was proud of his Italian heritage and his son Jim, who was in the Navy at the time, traveled to Ellis Island to take a picture of his grandfather Gregorios’ signature. Greg had fond memories of his youth, of visiting his grandpa’s acreage to help farm the fruit he grew, including grapes, from which he made his own wine. It was on “Talbot Hill” where many of the Seattle Italians lived.
Greg loved going to everything his grandkids were doing, especially sports. If he could get there, he would be there.
He tolerated the two cruises he and Sue took, one to Mexico, but especially loved the one to Alaska.
He loved his cat, Tom, his “buddy.”
He was honored to be a recipient of a ‘Quilt of Valor’ for his service in Vietnam by the Lewis Clark Quilts of Valor.
Greg was preceded in death by his parents Aldo Rosa “AR” Buratto and Gail Marie Buratto. He is survived by his wife Susan Buratto, five kids, Ann Buratto (Todd Williams), Mike Buratto, Amy Buratto, Jim (Heidi) Buratto and Sean Buratto; three brothers Stan (Cathy) Buratto, Steve (Judy —recently deceased) Buratto and Alan (Sue) Buratto; 14 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Snake River Community Clinic, in Lewiston, and Holy Family Catholic School, in Clarkston.
Funeral arrangements were made by Merchants Funeral Home, of Clarkston and Holy Family Catholic Church, in Clarkston.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Friday, Feb. 17, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1109 Chestnut St., Clarkston. Inurnment will take place at the columbarium at the church followed by a luncheon and reception in the parish hall.
The family would like to thank those involved in his care and the support from the community.
“There’s peace in where you are, maybe all I need to know, and if I listen to my heart, I’ll hear your laughter once more. And so, I have to say I’m just glad you came my way it’s not easy….to say goodbye.” — KR