Kim Buehler

Mr. Kim Donald Buehler, affectionately known to family and friends as "Smurf", 74, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013, at his home surrounded by family and friends. Mr. Buehler was born in Knoxville, and grew up in Fountain City where he was a member of the 1957 graduating class of Central High School. Kim was a member of the United States Navy, Airborne Electronic Countermeasures Specialist. During the Vietnam War, he proudly flew the DEW Line - Defense Early Warning.Following his military service, Mr. Buehler attended Eastern Tennessee State graduating with a BS in Industrial Technology. He also had degrees from Chattanooga State in Mechanical Engineering and Information Systems. He worked for a number of years as a service writer at Standefer Datsun, retiring from Copeland Inc as a CADCAM Designer.Mr. Buehlers passion and hobby was working in his personal machine shop doing metal fabrication for racing cars and specialty parts; and building high performance engines for sports cars. Over the years, he crewed for various race teams.Mr. Buehler was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Evelyn Buehler, of Knoxville.Mr. Buehler is survived by his daughter, Kimberly B. Ford and grandson, Colin Ford, of Encino, Calif; his longtime girlfriend, Faith B. Smith, of Sale Creek; his sister, Barbie Standefer; nephew, Alan (Julie) Standefer; niece, Ellen (Mark) McOmie; great-nieces, Alli Standefer and Claire McOmie, great-nephew, Jackson Standefer; and a wealth of treasured friends.Graveside service and interment will be 11 a.m. today, Aug. 16, 2013, at Highland Memorial Cemetery, Knoxville. The family will return to Chattanooga for visitation at Chattanooga Funeral Home North Chapel, Chattanooga, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that evening.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Buz Standefer Lung Center c/o Memorial Hospital Foundation, 2525 DeSales Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404 or the American Lung Association of Tennessee, 1466 Riverside Dr, Suite D, Chattanooga, TN 37406.Please share your thoughts and memories at www.ChattanoogaNorthChapel.com.Arrangements are by the Chattanooga Funeral Home, North Chapel, Highway 153, Hixson, TN 37343.