Port
Rowan Loses Outstanding Citizen
-- Started Life as a Schoolteacher
-- Had many interests
Port Rowan: Death
on Thursday deprived Norfolk County of another of its illustrious sons
in the passing of John Lampman Buck at his home here in his 82nd year.
Commencing
his career as a school teacher, John L. Buck, son of United Empire
Loyalists, branched out in later life into various forms of commercial
activities and public service and became one of this county's best known
and most generally esteemed citizens.
Genial and
warm-hearted, he was widely known and revered. In his death the
community of Port Rowan and the county of Norfolk will be the loser.
Native
of Haldimand. Born in the township of Walpole, he came to Norfolk at
an early age with his parents, Charles Buck and Sarah Secord, both
descendants of United Empire Loyalists, the family settling in Houghton
township.
As
a young man John L. Buck was a teacher of marked ability and he served
for a time as assistant in the Pt. Rowan High School, later becoming
principal at St. Williams.
It
was at St. Williams that he first engaged in business and was [sic]
a general store there for a time, moving back to Port Rowan 47 years ago
and making his home there. During this span of nearly half a century he
has been intimately connected with many types of business.
Notwithstanding
a life of intense mercantile activity, Mr. Buck found time to devote his
talents to the service of his fellow men. An ardent Conservative he
twice contested the riding of South Walsingham against Hon. W. A.
Charlton, being defeated by a small majority in 1898 and 1902. In the
smaller sphere he served as reeve of the village from 1917 to 1922 and
in 1918 held the wardenship of Norfolk County, fulfilling that office
with dignity and ability.
Interested
in Long Point. It was Mr. Buck who conceived the idea of setting
aside the west end of Long Point as a provincial park and he lent his
energies in this direction. He was chairman of the Long Point Park
Commission and there were few men who could equal his in his fund of
information concerning this area's topographical history and natural
characteristics.
For
thirteen years he was a member of the Board of Education, spending ten
years as chairman. A devoted church-goer he took a keen interest in the
affairs of Neal Memorial Church. He was a life member of the session, a
member of the church trustee board and of the parsonage trustee board as
well as having served as Sunday school teacher and superintendent.
Active
in Lodges. In fraternal affairs, as well, the name of John L. Buck
loomed large. He was a member of Walsingham Lodge No. 174 A. F. &
A.M. and served as master in 1902. For years he was one of the supreme
officers of the Canadian Home Circle and was Supreme Leader of the
society, taking an active part in the amalgamation of that organization
with the Independent Order of Foresters.
Possessing
a fine literary taste, Mr. Buck was himself an able writer and in his
later years wrote and published a fine volume of poetry which is highly
valued by his friends.
Fifty-three
year ago March 1, he was married to Rhoda Misner [sic] of Clear
Creek, who along with two sons and one daughter survive. They are: C.
Stewart Buck, clerk of the County Court of Norfolk, Harold Buck, M.B. of
St. Thomas, and Miss Marjorie Buck, superintendent of the Norfolk
General Hospital.
Also
remaining are three sisters, Mrs. Marion Wood, Woodstock, Mrs. Caroline
Knowles, Scotland, and Mrs. George Riddell, Cultus, and one brother, W.
N. Buck, Port Rowan.
The
funeral will be held this afternoon under Masonic auspices from the
family residence at 2;30 pm with internment in Bay View Cemetery.
