Obituary

Town of Turbeville mourns community altruist

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The fog of sadness hung heavy over the Town of Turbeville last week as the town grieved the loss of one of it’s strongest pillars. 

Silas Bruce Buddin was 94 years old when he went to be reunited with his wife, Gladys, on April 25. 

Buddin had lived a life of service above self, and as several people remarked at his funeral, “They don’t make em’ like him anymore.”

Buddin acheived many things throughout his life, he was a veteran who served in Korea, a long-standing member of the Ruritan Club, a former captain of American Legion Post 132, and a volunteer at the Turbeville Fire Department for 30+ years. 

One of his proudest achievements was his service to First Baptist Church of Turbeville. He served several times as a Deacon there, dating back to before the now extremely mature tree was planted out front. 

At his funeral, not one, but four separate pastors testified to Buddin’s strength and giving nature. One shared a story of Buddin, a few months prior, directly after a visit to the hospital. The pastor, Chris Moore, who is married to one of Buddin’s grandchildren, said that he was going to visit Buddin after he arrived home from the hospital. 

“I pulled in the driveway and there was Mr. Bruce on the roof, working to fix a problem,” said Moore.

This was a true testament to just how serious Buddin was about serving his community. As one pastor mentioned, if someone in the church so much as mentioned a change that needed to be made, or a problem that required manual labor, Buddin could be found fixing that problem to the best of his abilities within the next week, if not the next day. 

Buddin was a bit of a perfectionist, he believed that “if a job was going to be done, it needed to be done right.”

“Mr. Bruce arrived at the pearly gates, and Peter told him to come in,” said Tommy Atkinson, another Pastor at the funeral. “And as he stood there he said: ‘I think there’s a better way you can hang those gates.’”

Buddin was honored at immediately before internment with a Last Call from the Clarendon County Fire Department, announcing that his number would be officially retired. 

Buddin’s family was also given a folded flag for his time served in the US Army.

For anyone who knew Mr. Bruce, and to all those that his life benefited, it is easy to understand just how much of an honor it was to know him. 

Read on for the full obituary from Floyd Funeral Home:

Silas Bruce Buddin, 94, widower of Gladys Watts Buddin, entered his eternal rest on Monday, April 25, 2022, at his residence surrounded by his loving family. 

Born August 25, 1927, in Turbeville, he was a son of the late Kenny Sodusta Buddin and the late Alma Henrietta Bush Buddin. As a member of the “Greatest Generation” Mr. Bruce was a veteran of the US Army where he served in Korea as a Captain in the Transportation Corps. He was a member of Turbeville First Baptist Church where he was a former Deacon and member of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Turbeville Ruritan Club, and former Commander of the American Legion Post 132. He attended two years of diesel mechanic school and was retired from Coker Builders as a Foreman/Superintendent after 45 years of employment. For 30 plus years Mr. Bruce was a volunteer fire fighter with the Turbeville Fire Department having served as Captain. In Bruce’s younger years he played Legion P15 Baseball in Sumter. 

Mr. Bruce was “Papa” to countless children of all ages through the years as his door was always open. No one who entered was a stranger as everyone instantly became family. His legacy of “unconditional love for all” is a testament to his faith and love for his Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He is survived by three sons, Ronnie (Candee) Buddin of Turbeville, Mike (Faye) Buddin of Irmo, and Tony (Pat) Buddin of Sumter; two daughters, Margie Buddin Edge and Anna K. Buddin both of Turbeville; fifteen grandchildren, Stevie Buddin, Kasey Holmes, Jamie (Edward) Carmon, Dustin (Molly) Buddin, Nicole Craft, Michelle Buddin, Chris (Teress) Edge, Eddie (Danielle) Buddin, Timmy (Katie) Buddin, Sarah (Brandon) Caples, Megan (Leo) Buddin, Kyndal (Chris) Moore, Will (Avery) Mullen, and Crystal Miller; twenty-five great grandchildren, Autumn, Mackenzie, Ashlynn, Aubree, Brayden, Leighton, Milley, Magnolia, Hayden, Carolina, Jenna Lyn, Natalie, Silas, Alana, Samantha, Delilah, Blake, Emily, Kegan, Leo, Kaytlin, Caleb, Chandler, Collin, Hudson; two great-great grandchildren, Kayciee and Margaret Mae; two Buddin nephews, Dr. Peter (Cudsie) Creticos and Kenneth (Cathy) Creticos; one Buddin niece, Barbara Buddin; and many other in-laws, nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 72 years; three brothers, Alton Buddin, Barney Ray Buddin, and Horace Buddin; and one sister, Zilla Buddin Creticos. 

A funeral service was held 3pm on Sunday, May 1, 2022, in the sanctuary of Turbeville First Baptist Church with Rev. Ryan Glosson, Rev. Chris Moore, and Rev. Tommy Atkinson officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery. 

Pallbearers were Stevie Buddin, Timmy Buddin, Chris Edge, Eddie Buddin, Hayden Craft, Dustin Buddin, Will Mullen, Edward Carmon, Kyle Boothe, Leo Seamon, Brandon Caples, and Wayne Holmes. 

The family request that memorials be made to Turbeville First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 177, Turbeville, SC 29162. 

The family would like to express their deep appreciation to the Amedysis Hospice Family (especially Tanya Smith, Dee Stegall, and Michelle Baker) for their love, care and compassion for Mr. Bruce during his final days. The family also wishes to thank Judy Coker, Robin Boothe, and Tricia Clark for their valuable assistance in caring for their daddy.