What happened to Ed Buckner’s daughter Ashton Eakin? Family tragedy explored as Arkansas weatherman dies at 59

Arkansas weatherman Ed Buckner, who worked for THV11, has died at the age of fifty-nine, after a long battle with cancer. Just like him, his daughter, Ashton Eakin, also died from cancer back in 2019.

According to TVH11, Ed Buckner was also diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome in his thirties, but after his condition deteriorated in 2020, he had to take an early retirement from his work, from his position as Chief Weatherman.

More about Ashton Eakin, as her father, Ed Buckner, dies

Ashton Eakin was born on October 26, 1989, to parents Ed and Carolyn Buckner. She grew up in Arkansas with her parents and siblings while her father worked at TVH11 as a meteorologist for twenty-five years.

According to Ashby Funeral Homes, Ashton Eakin studied at the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas, where she pursued Dental Hygiene, and graduated in 2017. Ashton Eakin was diagnosed with ALL-B Cell Leukemia less than a year after graduating from college.

According to the GoFundMe page started in her name, Ashton, was feeling extremely unwell in the months before her diagnosis and had undergone multiple tests to identify the cause. Over the first weeks of the new year, she suffered from debilitating chest pains as her overall health kept declining.

Later, on 26 January 2018, according to the post on her GoFundMe page, Ashton Eakin was rushed to the hospital and was informed that she had higher white blood cell counts. On the next day, she was informed that was suffering from ALL-B Cell Leukemia, a condition that is rare in adults.

Ashton Eakin, who was married to Jared Eakin, started chemotherapy in February 2018. The couple shared two children, Brynn and Cambry. According to the Ashby Funeral Homes, Ashton Eakin passed away at the age of twenty-nine on May 6, 2019, while admitted at the M.D Anderson Cancer Centre. Journalist Chris May posted the news of her passing on X, saying:

"Our friend Ed Buckner has suffered an unimaginable loss with the death of his daughter Ashton, who succumbed to cancer last night at the age of 29. Our hearts go out to Ed, his wife Carolyn, all their family, and the @THV11 family. You’re in our prayers."

At the time of her death, she was survived by her father, Ed Buckner, who died on Tuesday after a long and illustruous career in journalism that saw him cover numerous disaster situations, particularly the infamous F3 tornado situation in Little Rock back in January 1999.

The news of Ed Buckner's death has been received with tributes from those who watched him on screen and his colleagues. In a statement obtained by THV11, fellow weatherman Tom Brandon paid his tribute, saying:

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“He was truly Arkansas’s Weatherman. He had this calm urgency when tracking severe weather and I know fellow Arkansans felt safe and comfortable with him leading the way. He will be missed.”

Ed Bucker, whose death comes just six years after the death of his daughter, Ashton Eakin, is survived by his family, which includes his wife, Carolyn Bucker, three children, and several grandchildren.

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