Buck Woods

1940 - 2024

TUPELO - Buck Woods was killed in a car wreck on August 16, 2024. He was born on a cotton plantation near Tutwiler, MS and was the youngest of three children. At the age of four, his family moved to Drew, Mississippi where he grew up and attended Drew Public Schools where he enjoyed playing football, baseball and basketball. After graduation he briefly attended the University of Alabama before joining the U. S. Navy on November 11, 1958 at the age of 18.
Buck graduated from the U. S. Naval Training Center, San Diego, CA and then Yeoman "A" School, Bainbridge, MD before being assigned to the NATTC Personnel Office, NAS Memphis, TN. After a year in Memphis, he was then assigned to Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan for four years. While there he was assigned to Navy Terminal Post Office 850, Yokohama, Japan for two and one half years before serving as the Personal Secretary to the Commander of Fleet Activities, Yokosuka for a year and one half. Buck then received a Top Secret Clearance from the U. S. National Security Agency and joined the U. S. Naval Intelligence Agency. He was assigned to the Joint Air Reconnaissance Coordination Center, Key West, FL for the purpose of monitoring all military activity in Cuba, this being soon after the Cuban missile crisis.
After his discharge, Buck moved to Memphis and was employed by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company within their retail store division. He received several promotions from Firestone and after ten years with the company, he opened his own Firestone Store in Amory, MS at the age of 32. With the help of then Security Bank of Amory, his employees and loyal customers, he was able to build a successful business which he sold 20 years later, and it is still operating today under new ownership.
He then established a new business, Automotive Equipment Warehouse, operating from Tupelo, MS, as a distributor, installer, and servicer of major brand automotive ship equipment. Again, after 20 years, he sold the business, and it is still operating today under new ownership.
Buck and his wife, Judy, loved to travel the world together. They visited all 50 US states, 61 countries and territories and all seven continents together. In 2022 they cruised around the world for 4.5 months. Buck and Judy were generous supporters of Mississippi State University, especially the women's basketball program. They could be found at every home game and most of the away games.
Buck and Judy never had children together, but they had each other.Buck was preceded in death by his sister, Maxine Woods Yates of Anniston, AL and his stepson, Jon Shelton of Tupelo. He leaves his sister, Juanita Woods Kirksey of McDonough, GA, his step daughter-in-law, Jessica Wallace Shelton, and stepson, Jason Shelton, and his step grandson, William Wallace Shelton, all of Tupelo, MS.
The family requests that, instead of flowers, a memorial be made to your favorite charity.
Visitation was held on Monday, August 26, 2024, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM at Holland Funeral Directors in Tupelo.