Matthew Bernard Linton

July 26, 1969 – April 18, 2026

Matthew Bernard Linton, 56, of Valona, Georgia, passed away on April 18, 2026. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Matt — known to nearly everyone as “Buck” — found his place along the Georgia coast, and there he built a life as enduring and steady as the tides he lived beside.

Buck was the owner of Valona Marina Railway, where he spent his life doing work he was born to do. He began as a young man working the decks of shrimp boats, learning the trade from the water up, and grew into one of the most skilled boat repairmen on the entire East Coast. The shrimpers and captains who traveled those waters knew that if their vessel needed work, Matt Linton was the man to call. There were few — if any — who could do what he did, and he wore that distinction not with pride, but with quiet purpose. It was simply who he was.

But ask anyone who loved him, and they’ll tell you the title that mattered most to Buck was Daddy — and Papaw. He was devoted to his children and absolutely lit up around his nine granddaughters. He was the kind of man who made you feel like the most important person in the room, whether you were his grandchild climbing into his lap or a stranger who just needed a hand.

Buck had a laugh that filled a room and a sense of humor that never quit. He wore his heart on his sleeve and would give the shirt off his back without a second thought. On his best days — which were most of them — you’d find him right where he belonged: out on the Valona Dock, fishing line in the water, probably cracking a joke at someone’s expense and grinning about it.

He is survived by his mother, Della Marie Linton; his children, Kaleigh Michelle Turner (Brandon), Matthew Brandon Linton, Cydnee Belle White (Patrick), and Austin Lake Linton; and his nine beloved granddaughters — Addy, Harper, Georgia, Magnolia, Daisy, Mari Jane, Dylilah, Nova, and Selah. He is also survived by his siblings, Michelle Colson (Chris), Mitchell Linton (Janice), Mark Linton (Liz), Melanie Burnsed (Mike), and Melissa Linton, along with five nieces, three nephews, and several great nieces and nephews who will carry his memory forward.

Matthew was preceded in death by his father, Robert Henry Linton; his brother, Michael Linton; his infant nephew, Chris Colson; and his infant daughter, Stephanie Hope Linton.

The dock will be a little quieter now. But the boats still sail — and so does his legacy.