Michael Anthony Buffa

Michael Buffa (Mike) passed away on December 6th , at the age of 51, after a 3 year fight against stage IV cancer. He was at home with the love of his life, Barbara, and his beloved dog, Bruno, by his side. Mike is predeceased by his father, Nino Buffa, mother, Rosa Cannarozzo Buffa, Aunt Mariella, Uncle Damiano, and cousins John Buffa and Tonia Vitale Little. Mike is survived by his best friend and soulmate of 18 years, Barbara. They were inseparable from the moment they met in 2000. They were engaged in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in 2002 and married in his dad’s town, Castellammare Del Golfo, Sicily on September 15, 2006. Mike will be forever remembered by his daughter, Jaylen Meeker, grandson, Creed Haymaker, two sisters, three brothers, in-laws, aunts, uncles, numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, a grand nephew, and the many friends he made over his lifetime. Mike was born on Staten Island, NY, on September 17, 1967. The family lived many years in Florida and Texas before settling in Georgia. Mike was the personification of ”live life to the fullest”, perhaps because he beat late stage Hodgkins Lymphoma as a child in 1978. He loved having a good time and could make the basic outing into an epic adventure. He enjoyed riding dirt bikes as a kid with his cousins, and later street bikes as adults. Mike also loved sports cars and owned many over the course of his life. Mike was a very determined man and would never quit trying to get better at anything that interested him. A self-taught musician, he was a phenomenal guitar player and played with several bands throughout his life, including two bands signed to record labels. He enjoyed playing tennis and was known to never quit a match even when in pain from leg cramps and exhaustion. In 2017, Mike fulfilled his lifelong dream of getting his pilot’s license, another example of his intense focus and determination. He said the day he passed his final “check-ride” was one of the best days of his life. Visitation will be held at Southern Cremations and Funerals at Cheatham Hill on December 15, 2018, at 2pm with a service to follow at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Mike’s honor to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation www.lungfund.org. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. This is not just a smoker’s disease.