William Gilmore Simms Buck

William Gilmore Simms Buck, 83, of Columbia and Bucksport, ME, died Monday, April 19, after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sara Swygert Buck, three daughters: Anne Davis (Gary) of Signal Mountain, TN, Martha LaRoche (John) of Charleston, and Sally Short (Bill) of Columbia, and seven grandchildren: Allan, Lee (Julie) and Mark Davis, Bucky and Henry DaVega, and Clay and Emma Short.

The son of Carl Edward Buck and Anne Lee Simms Buck, he grew up in Greenville, graduated from Darlington Prep School in Rome, GA, trained in the US Army AirCorps, and graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he lettered in track. His career was spent in the trucking industry; many years of service as terminal manager for Johnson Motor Lines, National Account Executive with G&P Trucking and continued affiliation with Continental Freight Lines. An avid outdoorsman and sportsman, he was golf champion in 1964 at Forest Lake Club, where he enjoyed golf and gin rummy with cherished friends. He was pioneer of offshore sportfishing in SC in the 1960’s, taking top trophies in tournaments aboard his boat, the Lucky Buck. His hunting and fishing skills were reknowned among his peers, and times spent with friends in swamps, dove fields, rivers, lakes and oceans were among the most important moments of his life.

In the last 30 years, he returned to Lake Alamoosook, near Bucksport, ME, where he had spent his childhood summers, and new experiences there were a constant source of joy: plenty of fish and grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, and by his brother, Carl E. Buck, Jr.

The burial will be private. The family will receive friends from 4-7 pm on Thursday, April 22, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Short, 432 Springlake Road. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, PO Box 266, Orland, ME 04472 or Heartland Hospice, 141 Stoneridge Dr., Columbia, SC 29210.