Floyd Buck

Floyd H. Buck left his earthly body Sunday, January 13, 2008, at the age of 81 while at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton, WA. Floyd was born at home to Edwin and Olga (Roth) Buck on January 18, 1926, in Kalispell, MT. His mother later remarried Mendell E. Simmonds. He was preceded in death by his parents Olga and Mendell Simmonds, his brothers Wallace, Donald, Earl, Lyle Buck, and his sister Violet (Buck) Dolan. Floyd married Edna E. Breed in Seattle on September 12, 1947, eventually making their home in Bremerton, WA. He leaves behind his loving wife of more than sixty years, Edna E. Buck; daughter Rosanne E. (Buck) Lee of Tumwater, WA; granddaughter Patty R. Lee; two great-granddaughters Megan R. Lee Hutchinson and Jaclyn Dawn Lee Krier, both of Tacoma, WA; two sisters-in-law Patricia A. Sanders of Port Orchard,WA, and Mary Breed, of Carlton, WA; one brother-in-law Ralph Breed and his wife Linda of Port Orchard; and numerous nieces and nephews. During his life, Floyd enjoyed and was successful in many careers and entrepreneurial endeavors. For many years he enjoyed turning former family treasures into valued treasures for others at Swap Meet in Elma, WA. This portion of his life's journey was after being employed nearly twenty years in the salvage yard for Brem-Air Sanitation Landfill of Kitsap County. Prior to time at the landfill, Floyd traveled to Seattle working as an Electronic Inspector for the 13th Naval District at Lockheed Shipyard inspecting such federally commissioned craft as the hydrofoil High Point where in 1968 he sustained loss of his left kneecap that eventually contributed to medical retirement from the federal government. "Buck" as he was known was an electronic engineer out of Shop 67 in PSNS, Bremerton. Through his career with the shipyard, he traveled to numerous locations, e.g. Adak and Kodiak, AK and Norfolk, VA (Raytheon Corporation) where he attended the US Naval Guided Missile School. He received commendations from the school for outstanding performance despite his junior status among classmates. Floyd spent time working as an electrician for Boeing Aircraft Company, Plant 2 in Seattle, and as a bartender in Marine Room at the old Olympic Hotel in Seattle. In 1943 he worked at the Halfmoon Lumber Company, Halfmoon, MT. Shortly thereafter Floyd proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as a Radio Mechanic during World War II and then again during the Korean Conflict. During the Invasion of Inchon, he received minor leg injury from shrapnel coming through a porthole of the landing craft wherein he was awarded a Purple Heart. Other lifetime notables for Floyd included obtaining his GED from Edison Technical School and studying radio repair, eventually leading to a career in electronics; a portion of youth being raised by foster parents, Alice and Thomas Makowski in the Grandview area; briefly working as a repairman for Crazy Eric's Drive-Ins (Daryl Erickson) and as a locksmith for Loxie Eagan's Locksmith shop both in the Bremerton area; and his religious studies wherein he was almost ordained a Baptist minister. In his spare time Floyd enjoyed watching the numerous varieties of birds he fed while living in Elma, fishing, riding his Trail 90 Honda motorcycle, reading, playing cribbage, painting, and listening to his large collection of yesteryear's beautiful music. For several years while a member of the Washington Association of Retarded Children, he dressed as Santa Claus delivering gifts to residents at Fircrest School in Seattle, and had pictures taken with children at local restaurant in McCleary; he even made one family's Christmas especially joyous by bringing not only gifts but tree, goody stuffed stockings, and having all the names of the children memorized (as only Santa would). Floyd will best be remembered for his keen sense of humor. He could spin a yarn a mile wide pulling in the most sophisticated thinker until just the last minute when the line giving it all away was delivered. In his family you waited to be the last to tell your story so as to out do all the other would-be tellers of tales. Congratulations Floyd, you won the honor of being master storyteller. He will also be remembered for his uncanny ability to fix most anything. He'd just ask himself, "Now how would I work if I were this item?" Then he'd set about fixing whatever it was that needed repair. He professed to being great but his family really knew that just meant he could do most anything he set his mind to do which is why he will be remembered as a devoted husband, loving father, and well-loved by family, friends, and casual acquaintances encountering his sense of humor. Life Celebration at 1:30 pm on January 27, 2008 at Rill's Life Tribute Center, 1151 Mitchell Ave, Port Orchard. Online memorial at www.rill.com . Memorial donations to the Washington Heart Association, Northwest Kidney Foundation, or ARC of Washington State.