Thomas Bryant Buck, III

Tom Buck III, who represented Columbus in the Georgia House of Representatives for 38 years, died early Thursday morning in hospice care. He was 81. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in First Baptist Church of Columbus, according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary. The burial will be private.

“Tom Buck was a wonderful person,” state Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I considered him a friend. His contributions are widely spread all over Columbus. He had a significant amount of influence in the legislature.”

As chairman of the Georgia House Ways and Means Committee, Buck played a part in funding major public facilities that have contributed to the growth of Columbus, such as the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, the Columbus Convention & Trade Center and the Columbus Civic Center, Smyre said.

The civic center’s funding through a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax was possible because Buck helped change the law that allows such revenue to be used for capital projects, state Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City, told the L-E.

The construction of I-185 is another project Buck helped make happen, Buckner said. “If it was good for Columbus,” she said, “he was in the middle of it.” Buck also served on the Georgia House Higher Education Committee when the HOPE Scholarship was created and when Columbus College was authorized to become Columbus State University.

Fellow legislators paid tribute to Buck during the last day of the 2004 legislation session, when they dressed in his trademark attire: blue blazer, khaki slacks and saddle shoes. He was known for working across the political aisle to get constructive things done.

“He was one that you could approach,” Smyre said. “He always gave you a straight answer. He was well-liked and well-respected in the General Assembly. … My heart goes out to Susan and the entire Buck family.” Buckner found Buck approachable even when she wasn’t in the legislature.

She recalled how helpful he was while she was director of community resources at Doctors Hospital. Whenever she sought assistance at the state level, Buck suggested officials she should contact.

So when Buckner considered running for election in 2002, he was the first person she asked for feedback.

“He was very encouraging and supporting, not just in getting me to run the first time but even years afterward,” she said. “… When I had a really tough decision to make, he was a person with really solid advice. He never steered me wrong.”

And sometimes Buck wouldn’t share his opinion – but would ask insightful questions to guide Buckner toward her own decision. “He was incredibly wise,” she said. That wisdom served the entire Columbus delegation well, Buckner said, as it gained a reputation for being among the most cohesive in the state.

“His idea of how that should work was that we could have heated discussions, but whenever we left the meeting, we needed to come out unified,” she said. “Because if Columbus needed or wanted it, it was our job to figure out how to help get it and not be in the public view fighting about it.”

Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, wrote on Twitter that Buck “was a good friend, great legislator, and strong leader for the State of Georgia.” Away from the Capitol and back home in Columbus, Buck continued to be a strong and collaborative leader, whether it was serving on Columbus Council as an interim member or guiding committees at his church. “He wore his influence well,” the Rev. Jimmy Elder, pastor of First Baptist Church, told the L-E. “He only used it for the benefit of the community and where he could help in an appropriate way.” Buck’s dedication to public service was as deep as it was long.

“The way Tom felt, anything he could offer back to the community he loved and cared for, the community that nurtured him and gave him his life, he wanted to do it,” said Elder, who knew where Buck would be Sunday mornings. “He was a believer. He believed in the community, and he believed in community service.”

Madden Hatcher Jr. was friends with Buck since they met in Wynnton School’s kindergarten 76 years ago. Both became lawyers, and Buck’s reputation in the profession was as golden in the profession as it was under the Gold Dome. “His word was his bond,” Hatcher told the L-E. “He was always courteous, always a gentleman, just a real fine person. … He wasn’t looking for pats on the back or attaboys.”