He is a soldier.
The battle was his
     we had to let him fight it.
The valley was his
     we had to let him walk it.
The rest is his
     we have to let him have it.
He is a soldier.

Just shy of his 95th birthday, Boyd Buck passed away July 21, 2019, in Eureka. Boyd was born August 13, 1924 in Kemmerer, Wyoming, the youngest of 13 children. His parents, Percival and Alice Bacon Buck, homesteaded land just north of Kemmerer. At age 9, on horseback with his older brother Jack, Boyd drove a dozen or so head of horses and cows 300 miles to King Hill, Idaho while his parents and sisters went ahead in the old truck. In King Hill, while they were trying to make ends meet on a small farm, his mother became sick and passed away when he was just 13 years old. After her death, he and his father moved back to Kemmerer where he graduated from Kemmerer High School at age 16. After graduation, he worked on local ranches.

In 1944, Boyd was drafted into the Army and fought in Europe with the 104th Infantry Timberwolves Division until the end of World War II. The Timberwolves were well known as “Night Fighters” and are officially recognized as liberators of Nazi concentration camps. His father, Percival, died in Kemmerer one month after Boyd landed on Omaha Beach (two months after D-Day). Boyd was just outside Berlin when the war ended.

Following the war, Boyd returned to Kemmerer and met Barbara Tripp while working in a grocery store. They married on May 9, 1946. Due to lack of good jobs in Kemmerer, Boyd came to Arcata with his new father-in-law, Merle Tripp, to seek work in one of the lumber mills. His daughter, Kaye, was born in Kemmerer and at the young age of approximately two weeks old, Kaye, Barbara, and Barbara’s mother, Virginia Tripp, made the move to Arcata to reunite with Boyd and Barbara’s father. Three sons — Bob, Butch and Terry — were all born in Arcata. His first job was cleaning the kitchen at nights at the Eureka Inn. He quickly found work at Hammond Lumber Company. Then he operated his own gas station (Buck’s Chevron in Arcata) from the mid 1950s to mid 1970s. He then began a new career at TP Tire, from which he retired in 1992 at the age of 68.

Boyd enjoyed dancing, bowling, golfing, playing cards on Saturday nights with the same group of friends for nearly 60 years, and making delicious oatmeal cookies. He and Barbara enjoyed trips to Reno in their younger years, and then local casinos. He was sure to go to the Ferndale Fair horse races each year. After Barbara passed away in 2001, Boyd continued to care for his mother-in-law, Virginia, until her passing in 2005.

Boyd was a gentle, quiet man who rarely stated an opinion about anything. He didn’t like fights, arguments or controversy. He was also quiet in his faith but there is no doubt he put his hope and trust in Jesus.

Boyd was preceded in death by his parents, 12 siblings, and Barbara, his beloved of 55 years.

He leaves behind and will be greatly missed by his children Kaye (John) Carey, Eureka; Bob (Lisa) Buck, McKinleyville; Butch (Roland) Buck, Guerneville; and Terry (Kim) Buck, Las Vegas. Grandchildren are Andre (Carla) Carey, Arcata; Lori (Paul) Regalo, Eureka; Kelly Buck, Calistoga; Kristin (Dave) Tierney, Eureka; Melissa (Alberto) Sanchez, Las Vegas. Great-grandchildren are Taylor and Morgan Carey, McKinleyville; Justin (Justin) Preyer, Benicia, Tanner Hooven, Madera, and Bailey Chase, Eureka; and great-great-grandson Bentley Sloan, McKinleyville. His sister-in-law, June Ness, Stanwood, Washington, survives him and will miss him dearly, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, and many friends.

All friends and family are invited to graveside services at Greenwood Cemetery, Arcata, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at 2 pm. After the service, we’ll gather at E&O Lanes, 1417 Glendale Drive, McKinleyville (toward Blue Lake), for a Celebration of Life. Please go to Paul’s Chapel online guestbook to share memories or condolences.

Good night, Dad. See you in the morning.