Jimmy Max "Bucky" Holsonback

Jimmy Max "Bucky" Holsonback

04/26/1951-02/20/2026

Mr. Jimmy Max "Bucky" Holsonback, age 74, of Crossville, passed away on Friday, February 20, 2026. Funeral services will be held at 2pm on Sunday, February 22, 2026, from Liberty Baptist Church @ Painter. Burial will follow the service in Liberty Cemetery @ Painter. Officiating are Bro. Ricky Williams, Bro. Richard Bruce, and Bro. Tex Martin. The family will receive friends from 10am-1pm on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel. Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to St. Jude's.

His birth certificate said Jimmy Max…but the world knew him as Bucky...a nickname his father gave him as a small child. He was born and raised on a cotton farm in the Painter community near Crossville, Alabama. Even as young children, Bucky and his four siblings worked long days alongside their parents to keep a roof over their head and food on the table.

After Bucky finished high school, he joined the military like many other young men in those Vietnam ravaged days. He served sixteen months in the Army before receiving an honorable discharge and returning home to help on the family farm.

He later married his sweetheart, Lillian "Ann" Driver in 1976 and they had three children…Kevin, Angie and Shay. Bucky cared deeply for his family and did everything in his power to make sure they had all they needed in life. He worked several different jobs those first hard years and then took a position at the United States Post Office in the early 1990s. He retired from there in 2011 after delivering thousands of pieces of mail and making lots of new friends.

Bucky was a loving and caring person…a devoted husband, father, brother and friend. He lived life to the fullest through the simple pleasures of life like spending time with family, hunting with his son, Kevin, and fishing in ponds all over DeKalb County. He had a deep passion for sports and enjoyed watching Alabama football and the Atlanta Braves on television. He shared his love of the game with many young boys and coached Dixie Youth baseball several seasons…the Tigers and the All Stars.

Bucky never met a stranger…he had a big heart and always did his best to help anyone in need. His generous soul helped countless people who were down on their luck and needed a helping hand. Bucky loved making people laugh and always had a good joke to share with anyone around him. He had a true love for life and his smile lit up every room he entered.

While Bucky was often referred to as the "comedian" of the family, there was one thing he didn't make jokes about…his faith. God called him to preach over forty years ago and he took the assignment seriously. He pastured churches all over Sand Mountain and preached fire and brimstone behind the pulpit. Countless souls were saved because of Bucky and he cherished each and every one of them.

He lived a life that most of us can only aspire to live. He loved people with all his heart and soul…he was loyal, faithful, reliable, dependable and steadfast in his beliefs. No one ever had to question his love for them…even in the hard times.

Bucky's last few months here were hard…his sickness spread quickly despite everything the doctors did and it steadily consumed him with every breath. He fought hard, but cancer is a terrible thief. He died quietly at home Friday morning…surrounded by his loving family.

His passing will leave a large hole in the lives of many… Bucky was one of a kind and irreplaceable. His memory will linger on in the many lives he touched throughout the 74 years that he journeyed here on Earth.

Bucky is suffering no more and I'm sure that when he met our Lord and savior at the pearly gates, God said, "Well done my good and faithful servant".

He is survived by his wife, Lillian "Ann" Holsonback; son, Kevin Holsonback; daughters, Angie Bailey and Shay Holsonback; grandchildren: Chelsea Bailey, Tyler Edde, Jaci Edde, Taylor Holsonback, Sadie Holsonback and Jasmine Gregory; great-grandchildren: Zariah Jaco, Amari Bothwell and Briley Holsonback; brother, Larry (Sandy) Holsonback; sister Mona (Richard) Prickett; sister-in-law, Betty Holsonback; a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Grady and Lula Mae Holsonback; his brother, LaDon Holsonback; sister, Mary Lou Pike; and nephew, Ben Prickett.

Pallbearers are Eric Scott, Mikie Wade, Dustin Powell, Josh Wallace, Cody Sampson and Steve Smith.

Arrangements Entrusted to W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel