Charlie Neal (Buck) Haydon, 87, born in Dripping Springs, Texas on April 28, 1929 to Charlie C. and Beulah Crumley Haydon, went to be with his Lord and Savior on November 12, 2016.
Buck attended school in Dripping Springs and graduated in 1947. In 1948 he joined the Army and went to basic training in Ft. Ord, California. He married Betty Lee Butler on July 24, 1950 in Dripping Springs. Later they moved to Ft. Benning, Georgia where he went to jump school for Paratrooper training. Soon afterward he was transferred to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina to the 82nd Airborne Unit. While the Korean War was raging, he was on alert for the All American 325th Airborne Infantry to go to Korea. In January 1953, he had a break in service. The family returned to Dripping Springs and he began to work for his brother, Alva, as a mechanic at Central Garage. In 1955, he reenlisted in the Army Reserve as Platoon Sergeant. In 1963, he began working for the Civil Service at AMSA Army Reserve Center in Austin and later became Shop Foreman. In 1966 he had the honor of being Master of the Rambo Masonic Lodge 426. After 38 years of service, he retired from the Army Reserve in 1989 as Chief Warrant Officer 4. Then in 1993, he retired from the Civil Service. Buck and Betty enjoyed traveling, including cruises, mission trips and visiting various states.
Buck was a long time member of the First Baptist Church of Dripping Springs where he was ordained as a deacon on June 1, 1969. He helped establish Hill Country Care and Senior Citizen Center in Dripping Springs. He was also involved in Helping Hands and Phillips Cemetery Association.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Betty, his parents, brother Alva Haydon, and sisters Ottie Mixon, Mildred McGregor, Loudeen Dobie and Nancy Foster.
He is survived by his sister Nina Conn of Austin, daughters Connie Brown and husband Buster, Cathy Tomerlin and husband Gary of Dripping Springs, and son Barry Haydon and wife Kathie of Austin; grandchildren Julie Gunter and husband Chris of Marble Falls, Sarah Tomerlin of Dallas, and Carter Neal Haydon of Austin; great-granddaughters Taylor and Kara Gunter of Marble Falls, grandson Michael Brown and wife Krissy of Riverside, Missouri and great-grandsons Jacob and Devon Brown of Ormond Beach, Florida.
The family received friends Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at the First Baptist Church Dripping Springs. Services were Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016 also at the church. Burial will follow in Phillips Cemetery, Dripping Springs.
The family would like to thank the staff at Hill Country Care for their loving care of Daddy.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund and Phillips Cemetery Association.
