John Edward Buck Jr.

John was born Sept. 16, 1941, in Grayson, Ky., to John Edward Buck Sr. and Ivis Rose Buck. When he was 2 years old, his father, who had volunteered to serve in the Navy during World War II, was lost in the Pacific on the submarine USS Cisco. Ivis Buck worked as a nurse while raising her children with the support of their extended family. When John was 8, they moved to Powhatan, Va. He graduated as valedictorian of Powhatan High School in 1959 and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond. He served as drum major of the marching bands at Powhatan High and UR. He earned a master’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., where he became a lifelong fan of Tar Heel sports. During his time at UNC, he spent two summers excavating medieval ruins in England, and was once arrested in Chapel Hill during the Civil Rights era because a pretty coed in a Franklin Street bar convinced him it would be a good idea to join the protest. In 1968, John joined the faculty at Patrick & Henry Community College, which at that time was a branch of the University of Virginia. He taught history and political science there for 41 years, estimating that he had more than 8,000 students. Many of them spoke of his ability to bring the facts and figures of history to life through storytelling without ever opening a textbook or checking notes. He retired in 2009 and was named professor emeritus in 2023. For most of his teaching career, and throughout his retirement, former students often approached him in public to say hi, thank him, and tell stories of the impact he’d made on their lives. These encounters took place as far away as Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Telluride, Colo. During his years at Patrick & Henry, he often spoke to local groups about history, particularly local history and the history of the Civil War. For a time, his classes were broadcast on local television. John loved spending time outside and was an avid camper and fisherman. When his three children were small, he often drove them down winding roads in search of the best swimming holes and fishing spots. They also took many family camping trips, particularly in Virginia and North Carolina. Once, his young son hooked him deeply in the cheek while casting a nightcrawler. But the fish were biting well that day, so John cut the line and left the hook in place for the next two hours. He removed it at the end of the day when the fishing was done. In later years, he and his wife, Audrey, went on two cross-country camping trips, visited numerous national parks in the U.S. and Canada, and traveled to 49 of the 50 states. They had made plans to fly to Hawaii, the 50th, when the Covid shutdown in 2020 forced them to cancel. John was a member of First Baptist Church of Martinsville, where he had served as a deacon and helped write the church history. He also was a member of several community organizations, including the Lions Club, the Dan River Basin Association, and the Martinsville Jaycees. While he was part of the Jaycees, he was involved in putting on community Fourth of July celebrations and other activities, such as the Haunted Castle for Halloween at Koehler. He was also a longtime supporter of the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, which he attended every year from 2009 to 2024. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Jane Buck Garner, in 2023. He and Audrey were married for 46 years and raised three children together: Hillary Rose Buck (Jay Martin) of Greensboro, N.C.; Amanda Buck Alderman (Nathan Alderman) of Crozet; and John Edward “Johnny” Buck III (Jessica Wilson) of Saxapahaw, N.C. In addition to their children, survivors include four grandchildren: Abby Buck of Greensboro; John Edward “Jay” Buck IV of Saxapahaw; and Henry Alderman and Timmy Alderman, both of Crozet, as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. The funeral will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Martinsville. The family will receive friends at the church from 2 p.m. until time for the service. Donations may be made to Rooster Walk Inc., P.O. Box 601, Martinsville, VA 24114; or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 8th Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001. w at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery in Rocky Mount, Virginia.