Buford Perry Nance, 95, of Charlotte, NC calmly passed into the arms of his Heavenly Father on Thursday, March 5th. He was born in Union County on July 20, 1924 to Alfred Craig Nance and Annie Myrtle Blackwelder.
He was preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers, one sister, his loving wife of 65 years Margaret Threatt Nance, his son Kenneth Buford Nance and a grandson Stephen Michael Cavin.
Buford graduated from Sharon High School in 1941 at the age of 16. He worked for Decca Records of Charlotte and then began servicing Wurlitzer and Rock-Ola Jukeboxes (most of which held twenty-four 78rpm records) for Charlotte Record Company.
In 1944 he enlisted in the Army to fight in WWII and was promptly sent to the South Pacific. He served as a radio operator for the 672 Amphibian Tractor Battalion and was involved in the first big landing in Luzon, Philippines. One of the missions he was most proud of was their successful rescue of 140 American, British and French prisoners in Manila. When the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending the war, Buford’s group was aboard a ship heading to Japan.
Recently when he was asked about his time in the Army, Buford responded, “I want my girls and my kin folks to know that I did it all for them. If I had to go back in service today and do I all over again, I would do it just so they could live a free life.”
Buford returned home from the war in 1946, married Margaret and started working at Foremost Dairies. After seventeen years he left Foremost for the United States Post Office where he continued working until he retired in 1987.
He was always kind, considerate, and loving. His daughters state that they never heard him say a curse word and can’t remember him ever losing his temper. His son Kenny once wrote about him, “Websters defines ‘Saint’ as a holy person, a person who is exceptionally meek, charitable, patient, etc. My Daddy is all these things, only so much more”. As one of Buford’s friends said, he was “the nicest man alive”.
Buford is survived by his daughters Peggy Cavin (Mike Rink), Joanna Edwards (Larry) and Kathy Warner (Bill) grandchildren Billy Cavin, Lee Cavin (Kathy), Lisa Smith (Tom), Kris Nagle, Larry Edwards (Ame), Mitch Warner (Staci), Shea Musick, and Laurie Kiser (Timmy) and great-grandchildren Addison Cavin, Grayson Smith, Caleb Smith, Daniel Musick, Mallory Kiser, and Carley Kiser.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to his friends and the staff at Williams Place Gracious Retirement Living in Davidson, the Lake Norman and Lincoln Chapters of Hospice, all of his special caregivers at Home Careolina, and especially Aneesah and Crissy for looking after Buford. He loved you all.
Visitation will be Saturday, March 7 at 2pm at Forest Lawn West Funeral And Cremation Service, 4601 Freedom Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208. Funeral services will follow in their chapel at 3pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to:
Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region – Lake Norman and Lincoln Chapters, 7845 Little Ave
Charlotte, NC 28226.
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