Marvin Barnes "Buddy" Pugh Jr.'s Obituary
Early YearsBorn in 1928 to parents Marvin and Frances Louise, Marvin Junior was a wonderfulbrother to his sister, Geraldine. A lifelong resident of Nashville, Tennessee,Marvin Jr. attended Howard High School where he played basketball enthusiasticallyfor three years.Always a believer in the adage that a stranger is only a friend you haven’t metyet, Marvin’s friendly and down-to-earth nature earned him the nickname‘Buddy’. Buddy was known as a fine gentleman and a good friend. Love struckafter meeting Donna Elkins, he married her in 1963 when he was 35. AchievementsBuddy was a ‘conservative’ Democrat who was loyal to his country havingserved in the National Guard in his youth. He never failed to ‘dress to the nines’to go to work. Buddy retired as a Time Auditor from Avco/Textron Aerostructuresafter 37 years of outstanding service. His proudest achievement was thedevelopment of his family. He was glad when everyone was happy, doing welland succeeding in their chosen endeavors. Playful PranksterBuddy sought joy by being the proverbial prankster. He liked to make you laugh.His wife Donna will never forget how several of his pranks nearly gave her aheart attack. He painted eyes on a green bean to make it look like a snake andleft it in the sink – she saw it in the middle of the night and reacted by crying andscreaming – to his absolute delight. Buddy succeeded in terrifying her with a popfire cracker on another occasion. When she screamed and cried because she wasso frightened, he laughed and laughed hysterically. Never taking the blame forany pranks, Buddy would always declare “I’m innocent!” Real “Buddy”A love that was unconditional was evident in the pride he had when it came tohis children. As a devoted family man, he encouraged them, especially in sportsand cultural activities. He loved playing ball with them – even in the house. Oneday, while playing ball, a couple of beautiful ceramic flamingo birds were brokenwhich had been perched on the TV. Their broken necks were firmly gluedback on by Buddy, only Donna noticed there was a problem, the heads had beenglued on backwards!Another time there was a suds overload when Buddy put laundry detergent in thedish washer; Donna never let him near her appliances again. Perhaps there was amethod to his madness, she wouldn’t let him do the laundry either.He would listen to his children’s problems and when they did something wronghe would discipline them – but not always. Buddy was the epitome of what fatherhoodmeans and he did his best to be a father to a lot of people.He was a friend to the four legged variety too. An abandoned female puppyfound by his son, Tim, was welcomed into the Pugh household. Junebug becamea buddy to Buddy who would share his popcorn with his loveable dog, one handfulat a time. Fun and Funds RaiserWhen Buddy wasn’t at work, or home, he enjoyed watching a ball game orsearching for bargains at a flea market or yard sale. He loved playing pool orhorseshoes. Sometimes he could be found on a date with lady luck at a casino.‘Eight-skate and donate’ and ‘baby needs a new pair of shoes’ were a couple ofhis mantras when rolling the dice.A man who believed in working hard and giving back to his community, he wasa volunteer who raised money while at Community Care of Rutherford Countyfor the Alzheimer’s Association and Toys for Tots. He was persistent and relentless– when he asked for a dollar for a good cause, he would remember to comeback to you if you didn’t have it the first time he asked. LegacyMarvin Barnes ‘Buddy’ Pugh, Jr. passed away on June 28, 2012 at the age of 84.He was predeceased by his parents, Marvin Sr. and Frances Louise, and his sister,Geraldine Angel. He is survived by his wife Donna, sons Tim (Gidget) andSteve Malone (Jewell) and daughters Sheril Hipkins (Mark), Deb Schwan(Richard) and Marcy Short; grandchildren, Chris Fults, Renee Fults, TannerPugh, Tabitha Pugh, Maegan Anderson, Jenny Walker, Julie Reasonover, BrandonMason , Steven Rutledge, Joseph Rutledge and great-granddaughter, HaileyFults.
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