Vernon Robert Budd, beloved companion of Ramona Rose and father to Steven, Susan and Robert, left this world on July 27, 2018 after a long and blessed life. Born on October 8, 1924, Vernon would soon be known by friends and family as “Bob”. As the story has it, when he first went to school he told the teacher his name was Bob and that has remained so for the rest of his life.
Bob was the son of Mary (Powers) Budd and Vernon Budd of Mount Vernon, New York, where he, along with his sister Marion, and brother Kenny spent their youth. At the age of 17, Bob left high school for military service in World War II. While in the Navy, he saw action in the south pacific and like many of his generation, the war became a defining experience of his lifetime. He enjoyed staying in touch with his former shipmates.
Ever the soldier and patriot, Bob went on to join the New York National Guard and serve another forty years as a Guardsman with a career as a federal employee assigned to the Guard. In his retirement he went on to spend another 36 years as a world traveler.
In 1950 he married Paula (Waller) Budd who was the mother of his three children. After Paula passed away in 1978, he went on to marry Peggy Budd, a union that brought him much joy until her passing some ten years later. He has spent the past twenty years in Homosassa Florida with his companion and soulmate Ramona Rose.
As a child of the great depression, Bob was both frugal of habit and fastidious in his pursuit of personal projects. He was a very handy guy and would keep the family cars running as well as most things around the house. He also kept a nice lawn, much to the admiration of the neighbors and was quick to remind his sons when it needed mowing. He was a thrifty guy and knew the value of a dollar. He taught his children how to pinch a nickel without allowing us to ever feel deprived. To this day, he credits his sister Marion with repairing the soles of his sneakers with cardboard when they were kids. Life was like that for the Budd’s in 1930.
Before moving to Homosassa, Bob lived many years in Peekskill and Farmingdale, NY. He was an avid fisherman and loved boating. Bob was a member of the West Citrus Elks Lodge, Homosassa, FL; the LSM/LSMR Association, Military Officers Association of America(MOAA), the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and more recently, Bob was an active member of the American - Irish Club.
Bob is survived by his sister Marion Cronin and his three children: Steven Budd and his wife Anne Wiley, Robert Budd and wife Valerie (Thomas) Budd, and Susan Budd Edlich and her husband George Edlich. He is also survived by 4 grandchidren and 4 great grand children. A Celebration of Life will be held at Wilder Funeral Home, Homosassa, Florida on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. A reception at the funeral home will follow the celebration. U.S. Navy military honors will be rendered at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida at 2:00 P.M. www.wilderfuneral.com
