Athur Buist

Arthur Lauriston Buist, 64, of Baltimore, Maryland, formerly resided at Charles Village and Rodgers Forge medical facilities in Baltimore, since suffering a massive stroke on January 26, 2013, passed away peacefully Wednesday, October 12, 2016, at Keswick Multi-Care Center, Baltimore. Born June 15, 1952, in Rockford, Illinois, the son and only child of Charles J. and Althea (Hyland) Buist, Jr. Art’s grandparents, Charles J. Buist, Sr. and Helen Lauriston Buist, emigrated from Scotland in 1912, on one of the ships that crossed the Atlantic shortly after the sinking of the Titanic. After an early career in vaudeville, Art's grandfather owned an upholstery shop on Seventh Street in Rockford. Art’s father spent 41 years as an engineer at Rockford’s Woodward Governor (now Woodward in Fort Collins, Colorado). Art's mother taught elementary school. In 1970, Art graduated from Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois. While a student, he worked as an announcer for an area radio station. He had a nice voice. That sparked his interest in a radio career. Art earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Speech from Northwestern University in 1974. After Art graduated from college, he used “Art Anthony” as his radio name, and worked at WSER in Elkton, Maryland, and WDEL in Wilmington, Delaware, before he settled in Baltimore. For many years, he worked weekends at WPGC in Washington, DC, and reported for the National Public Radio network. Later he joined WJHU radio, now WYPR, and he frequently substituted on the evening jazz show and regularly hosted WYPR’S Sunday morning show. His career also included announcing for Maryland Public Television and he often appeared on their telethons. On May 20, 1989, Art married Patricia Gavin of Baltimore; they later divorced. She passed away on June 14, 2016. In the late 1980s, Art attended the University of Maryland School of Law, while continuing his radio career. After returning from a legal internship in London, he received a JD in 1992 and went into private practice. Art gave selflessly of his time and legal talents to assist communities with several neighborhood issues in Charles Village, Waverley and later Rodgers Forge. His assistance was critical in a two-year battle to close the “Phaze III” (or the “32d Street Plaza”) nightclub on 32d Street in the 1990s. The community could not have won that extraordinarily difficult battle against the nightclub owners, the Liquor Board, and liquor lobbyists without his help. When Art moved to Rodgers Forge he served on the community association board for several years. There he used his talents as a lawyer to revise the by-laws and determine which covenants were no longer in effect. He later used his legal skills to help neighbors with their zoning issues. In 2010, Art put his lifelong interest in politics into action and scaled back his reporting career to run as a Democratic candidate for District 42 of the Maryland House of Delegates. He lost in the primary. Never the less, he continued his commitment to social justice and his belief in democracy by helping his former rivals in the general election campaign. Survivors include two first cousins, Robert L. (Robin ((nee Papalardo)) Kreuter of Longwood, Florida, and their children, Barbie (Brad) Wright of Kernersville, North Carolina, and Paul (Jen) Krueter of Chicago, Illinois; and Brent (Carol Carlin, deceased) Shelton of Munster, Indiana, and their children, Catherine L. Shelton of New York, New York, Ronald B. (Mary Prevosti) Shelton of New York, New York, and Daniel B. (Marie Hollen Wheeler) Shelton of Hammond, Indiana; two distant cousins in Scotland, Moyra Linn of Edinburgh and James Hetherington of Dundee; his beloved dog, Andy; and cat, Mittens, who are in the continuing care of Pet Rescue of Maryland. Predeceased by his parents; ex-wife, Patricia; and cousin-in-law, Carol Shelton.

Visitation from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, October 29, in Delehanty Funeral Home, Ltd., 401 River Lane, Loves Park, Illinois, with graveside service to follow in Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Art’s memory to help Andy and Mittens, contact info@petrescueofmd.org.