The Zamzam Story - Bob Buyse comments

Bob Buyse

Apr. 30, 2021

What are the odds that a Zamzam survivor would die on Zamzam Day itself? Today I learned that Bob Buyse, one of the "big boys" on the Zamzam, did just that--dying on April 17 at the age of 92. Many of us remember him with great fondness from the reunions he attended.

There was an effervescence about him--friendly, outgoing and fun! One of my favorite memories was of him and his sister Marion singing together "Safe Am I," just as they had done as children, with Bob clinging to Marian's skirt! It was pretty cute.

Bob was the force behind presenting a plaque of appreciation to Eleanor Anderson for her work in organizing the Zamzam reunions and compiling the newsletters. He also designed Zamzam cups for each of us survivors after a reunion in South Bend, Indiana, a very special gift from him.

The surgery mentioned in his obituary that had him giving up tennis was in fact the amputation of one of his legs, which also prevented him from attending later reunions. He lost his sister Marian (Buyse) Botha on Apr. 4, 2020 and her funeral was on Apr. 17, 2020.

Lois Carlson

When Ray and I were in the home of Bob Buyse for the interview session with Carla Greenhalgh (for the Zamzam Project), Minnie (Bob's wife) had died, but Marian (Bob's sister) was included in the interview.

Marian was living in a care home, but her daughter brought her over to Bob’s home.

Evelyn (Danielson) Ternstrom

Bob Buyse was such a close friend of our family, really both families stayed close all through the years after the Zamzam while my parents were alive. Bob attended my wedding, and he used to kid me saying how he was my special “baby sitter” on the Zamzam and during the time of repatriation afterwards.

I have a picture of him in his air force uniform on our “picture wall,” which he inscribed to our family before he ever married. He gave it to us when Daddy was in the Navy and we were living in a Naval Housing Project in Texas.

We will miss knowing he is on earth, but will look forward to seeing him soon in glory!

Love and Blessings,

Mary (Fix) Fawcett

What an excellent obit, but what an unbelievable human being. Bob Buyse was certainly an unforgettable ZAMZAMMER.

He was one of the “colorful” attendees at the Reunions—always a bit of fun and laughter when he presented anything, and now I know where our ZAMZAM cups came from. That was a tremendously meaningful gift. What a great man who always thought of others. Now I cherish that Zamzam mug even more!!!

Dying on April 17 sure had a lot of meaning to it. So interesting that Bob's sister Marian's funeral was on April 17, 2020!

Luella (Danielson) Holwerda

This was posted on the Zamzam Ship Facebook page on May 3, 2021:

Robert (Bob) Buyse (pictured below at age 12) died on Apr. 17, 2021, the 80^th anniversary of the sinking of the Zamzam. His parents Leonard and Daphne Buyse, sister Marian, and he were with the Africa Inland Mission and headed for Mombasa, Kenya. (Photo is from ZAMZAM: The Story of a Strange Missionary Odyssey.)

Bob’s sister Marian (Buyse) Botha died in 2020. Her funeral was on April 17. She had contact with a son of crew member Mohammed El-Gammal, who died on April 17, 1976. After the son saw an article, “Harrowing Tale of Survival,” The Sacramento Bee (June 21, 1993) about Bob and Marian, he called Marian.

Eleanor, in three Zamzam newsletters, reported on the contact that included Mohammed’s wife Lilian.

Winfred Danielson

Top photo: Capt. Jaeger (center) of the Dresden, Capt. Smith of the Zamzam.

Bottom photo: Carl Norberg, Laurence Danielson and Robert Buyse.

This was posted as a "Memory" on the Fair Oaks obituary site for Bob Buyse.

Bob was a hit at the Zamzam reunions he attended at Notre Dame in 1993-2003. Zamzam group "CEO" Eleanor Anderson wrote that "he's an effective leader at reunions. We were delighted and touched by the interesting tidbits about passengers Bob had gleaned from his mother's diary” (Zamzam newsletter, November 2001).

Lois Carlson noted that he died on Zamzam Day and "There was an effervescence about him--friendly, outgoing and fun! One of my favorite memories was of him and his sister Marian singing together 'Safe Am I' just as they had done as children, with Bob clinging to Marian's skirt!" (Zamzam news, April 30, 2021).

Further posting about Bob has been made on the "Zamzam Ship" Facebook page. I was a 3-year-old on the Zamzam and appreciated getting to know Bob and others at the reunions and through compiling a Zamzam bibliography.

Blessings on Bob's family and the memories of him. The Zamzam cup that he designed and distributed will help.

My brother, Laurence, is now the oldest Zamzam survivor.

Winfred Danielson