Aloha Buffington

Aloha Darlene South Buffington, Artist, Educator, Writer, Traveler

Aloha South Buffington left this world in the arms of her husband in the early morning hours of Friday, December 19, 2025, after a year and a half-long battle with cancer.

Aloha was born in Seattle, Washington on July 13th, 1947, the oldest child and only daughter of George South, Sr. and Peggy Cline South. Growing up, she attended school in Seattle, Bellingham, and Mount Vernon. Aloha's upbringing was enhanced by her time spent at the home of her aunt and namesake, Aloha "Loie" Cline McCutchin, who nurtured her talent as an artist and encouraged her to always seek the possibilities in life, a practice she carried out until her very last breath.

Just a few weeks after her graduation in 1965, Aloha met Ronney Buffington, a handsome young sailor from Georgia. What followed was a love affair that spanned eleven presidential administrations, several moves across the country, and yielded three children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Aloha created and studied art in all forms throughout her life. She studied Chinese watercolor as a high school student, painted seascapes with her newborn daughter in tow as a young mom in Bellingham, taught ceramics classes in Trenton, Georgia in the 1970s and 80s, painted in oil and acrylic in various genres, made numerous sculptures, and created one-of-a-kind jewelry that turned heads whenever she wore one of her creations that matched perfectly with her carefully curated outfits.

After a devastating house fire in 1985, Aloha reevaluated her priorities in life and made the decision to return to school to major in art. She attended school part time, worked full-time, and continued making art whenever she could. She received her B.F.A. from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1992 and then went on to pursue a degree in art education. She began teaching elementary art for Cleveland City Schools in 1995 until her retirement in 2018. She instilled her love of art in hundreds of Cleveland schoolchildren.

Along with her endeavors in visual art, Aloha was also an accomplished writer, attending UTC's Meacham Writers' Workshops throughout her college years and beyond and specializing in creative nonfiction. She wrote several collections of memoirs for her children and grandchildren to enjoy, treasures that they cherish today. She received her Master of Arts in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Ashland University in 2014.

Aloha decided that she needed to travel the world after she lost her dad in 1999. From 2000 to her passing in 2025, she made it a point to take a trip each summer, visiting Europe several times, as well as Russia, China, Australia, and Japan. When she wasn't traveling the world, she was packing her suitcase to travel to Alaska, or New Orleans, or Hawaii, or Vermont, or her home state of Washington.

But more than these accomplishments, Aloha was a wonderful wife, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and friend. She created joyous spaces wherever she went. She loved her family dearly, and once wrote that "my life is successful because of you. Any other accomplishments will just be frosting."

Aloha is preceded in death by her parents, George South, Sr. and Peggy Cline South.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband Ronney; brothers and spouses George, Jr. (Catherine) and James (Steve); children and spouses, Rowan (Karen), Steve (Kim), and Susan (Jason); granddaughters Sara (Clinton), Bonnie (Nathan), Sydney (Derek), and Elle; great-grandsons Logan, Colin, and Otis, best friend Christine Armstrong, and a host of other friends.

A private memorial service will be announced soon. Companion Funeral and Cremation Service of Cleveland is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to honor her memory by making a donation to the American Cancer Society or the art council of your choice, wearing sparkly clothing and wigs, taking pictures of clouds from your car, or any other crazy Aloha activity, as needed.